• Solidarity groups respond to call for support • U.S. mayors demand visas for relatives of the anti-terrorist Cubans

BY GILDA FARIÑAS RODRIGUEZ —Granma International staff writer—

FROM September 12 through October 8, men and women around the world are joining together on the side of Cuba, five men and their struggle.

An International event in solidarity with the five Cuban heroes imprisoned in the United States will be observed, with activities to take place around the world from September 12 to October 8.

Responding to a call by the International Committee to Free the Five, headquartered in the United States, progressive groups and movements are engaging in an extensive global campaign to demand the release of René, Ramón, Gerardo, Fernando and Antonio.

These Cuban men, known as the Five, are still incarcerated in maximum security prisons in the United States for defending their country from terrorist attacks.   

The program for this year’s International Event to Free the Five includes hundreds of activities in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Africa.

For example, in Latin America, solidarity organizations in Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil are to release five white doves in front of the U.S. embassies in their countries.

In addition to marches and political-cultural activities, the Argentine Movement in Solidarity with Cuba (MASCUBA) has announced a number of events for the activity. Joining them are other political, social, student and labor organizations.

In Panama, the movement Freedom for the Five announced the distribution of information and leaflets outside the U.S. embassy. In addition to this event, meetings, panel discussions, marches and press conferences are planned for the capital and in other Panamanian provinces. 

Chile is another country where friendship groups announced cultural and social events in support of the international call to free the five prisoners, echoed by groups in Bolivia, Ecuador and Uruguay.

Meanwhile, similar activities are taking place in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Committees to Free the Five in European, African and Asian countries have also begun solidarity actions.

Friends of Cuba associations and Free the Five committees in Czechoslovakia organized a political-cultural evening to launch their own campaign in support of the Cubans. In Spain, different organizations have confirmed their participation in the International Event. 

This extensive solidarity network, brought together as a result of the call, will be supported in Cuba with the presentation of the book Desde la soledad y la esperanza (From Solitude and Hope) and the CD Danza de los Inocentes. (Dance of the Innocents)

According to Alicia Jrapko, from the International Committee to Free the Five, a research group at Sonoma State University in northern California has decided to include a chapter on the case of the Five in their book Project Censored.

“Prejudice of corporate media in the case of the Cuban Five,” was written by student Jeffrey Huling who said that he had never heard of the case before becoming involved in the university project. Each year a book is published on issues that have not been covered by the media in the United States, as the 25 most censored stories of the year prior to the book’s publication.

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL URGED TO AUTHORIZE VISAS

Citing humanitarian reasons, 13 mayors of cities within the state of California have asked the U.S. Attorney General to authorize visas for Adriana Pérez O’Connor and Olga Salanueva Arango to visit their husbands imprisoned in that country.

According to Alicia Jrapko, a letter sent to Alberto Gonzales stated: “There is no way to justify the denial of these families’ visitation rights.”

The message explains that Gerardo Hernández, confined in Victorville, has not seen his wife Adriana in 9 years, while René González, Olga’s husband, has been denied the right to see her for 7 years.

Gayle McLaughlin, mayor of Richmond and one of the signatories of the letter, said that he felt “deeply saddened by the fact that our federal government has not even allowed these two women to see their husbands.” Other California mayors who signed the humanitarian request include Robert Lieber of Albany, Sam Pierce of Sebastopol, Emily Reilly of Santa Cruz, Dennis Donohue of Salinas, Mary Craton of Canyon Lake, Maricela Morales of Port Hueneme, Elba Guerrero of Huntington Park, Felipe Aguirre of Maywood, Tom Bates of Berkeley, Larry Bragman of Fairfax, Bill Bogaard of Pasadena and Woody Fridae, mayor of Winters.

Copies of the mayors’ letter were sent to Paul D. Clement, who has temporarily taken over from Gonzales, who resigned September 17.

Also receiving copies are Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as the president of the House of Representatives.

Granma 14-09-2007