[NYTr] Brazilians, Panamanians Express Support for Cuban Five

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Brazilians and Panamanians Express Support for Cuban Five

Havana, September 3 (acn) A campaign for the release of the five Cuban 
political prisoners who remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States 
for fighting terrorism will be conducted by the Brazilian movement in 
solidarity with Cuba.

The organizers of the event explained to Prensa Latina news agency that 
the actions will begin on September 12 as part of a world campaign in 
support of Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez, 
Ramon Labañino and Rene Gonzalez, internationally known as the Cuban 
Five, who were detained in 1998 for having infiltrating right-wing 
anti-Cuba organization based in Florida, which have organized numerous 
terrorist actions against the island over the last 45 years causing 
death and huge material damage.

Organizers noted that the beginning of this campaign will coincide with 
the ninth anniversary of their incarceration.

On Saturday, the Municipal Chamber of Diadema in Sao Puelo held a 
special public audience in favor of the Five and they approved the 
'Letter of Diadema' in which they demand the immediate release of the 
Cuban heroes. The letter will be sent to the US Embassy in Brasilia, 
the US consulate in Sao Paulo and to the US Congress.

Meanwhile, also in Sao Paulo, participants in the 3rd Congress of the 
Workers' Party expressed their support of the Cuban Five. In a two-hour 
meeting attended by some 70 delegates to the Congress, Fernando Remirez 
de Estenoz, head of a delegation of the Cuban Communist Party invited 
to the event, gave details of the current situation on the island. 
Afterwards, delegates asked questions and discussed about the 
traditional international solidarity offered by Cuba to other peoples 
of Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the meantime, the release of the Cuban Five was also demanded by 
Panamanian trade unions, intellectuals and social and political 
organizations of the Central American country during the 8th National 
Encounter in Solidarity with Cuba held in the southwestern city of Los 
Santos with the participation of 200 delegates.

Participants also asked the Panamanian Supreme Court to declare 
unconstitutional the pardon given by the administration of former 
president Mireya Moscoso to terrorist Luis Posada Carriles and his 
accomplices. They also asked for an exemplary conviction against those 
who allowed the illegal escape of the terrorists.

In parallel with this solidarity meeting, the First National Encounter 
of all Panamanian committees for the release of the Cuban Five was also 
held. Participants agreed on an action plan to spread the truth about 
the unjust imprisonment of the Cuban Five.