Film star calls for release of Cuban Five

Actor Danny Glover sent the following message of solidarity on Sept. 13 to the concert “Five Stars and One Song” held in New York in support of the Cuban 5.

Weeks ago, I arranged my schedule to be with you tonight to support growing national and global efforts to free the Cuban five patriots who have been unjustly incarcerated by the U.S. government for defending their beloved fellow Cuban citizens and their government from the heinous, murderous terrorist attacks launched with impunity from the United States.

But, unfortunately I cannot be with you in person as my work and family responsibilities require me to remain in California tonight.

However, I am with you in spirit and in committed actions to right the injustice of imprisonment and isolation of the Cuban five from their families.

We must bear witness to the courage and commitment of the Cuban five to rid the world of terrorism with their heroic stand against the murderous plots and bloody execution of terrorism launched from the United States against the nation and people of Cuba.

We must bear witness and put a stop to the lies that these five Cuban patriots worked as spies to undermine or damage the security of the United States and to harm the American people.

We must bear witness and publicly denounce U.S. government violation of its own laws against terrorism and its global call to prevent terrorism.

We must bear witness and publicly explain to all the American people who honestly desire peace with justice that continued incarceration of the Cuban five undermines our nation’s credibility in the war against terrorism and tarnishes our nation’s reliability as a partner and honest broker in the global pursuit of justice and peace.

As freedom and justice-loving Americans committed to civil, peaceful and fair diplomatic negotiations of differences between governments, and committed to mutual and respectful exchange among American and Cuban citizens, we must bear witness to the highest ideals we profess about fairness and justice and persuade our government, our elected officials, and our courts to exemplify those attributes in practice, not in empty rhetoric, and give just due to the Cuban five by releasing them to their country, their families, and their fellow citizens.

Let us stand forth until liberty is won for the Cuban five.

—Danny Glover