U.S. activist tells Havana rally:
'We must free the five Cuban heroes'
The following is a speech delivered at Havana's May Day
rally this year by Gloria La Riva of San Francisco, coordinator
of the National Committee to Free the Five Cuban Political
Prisoners Held in the United States. The five were given long
jail sentences for having monitored the actions of anti-Castro
terrorist organizations in Miami. The Free the Five
Committee is at 2489 Mission St., No. 24, San Francisco, CA
94110; freethefive@actionsf.org.
As Comandante Fidel Castro and the Cuban people know, it is
the struggle that will win the freedom of our five heroes,
prisoners in the jails of the empire. That has always been true
with the question of political prisoners. It was the struggle
of the people of South Africa that destroyed apartheid and
liberated Nelson Mandela.
More than once Mumia Abu-Jamal was in danger of execution,
but the unceasing struggle of those who support Mumia is what
stopped his execution and will win his freedom.
It was the same in the fight for Elián
González. Although the government of Washington
pretended to ignore the gigantic mobilizations in Cuba, those
were decisive.
Something else was gained in the struggle for Elián,
a favorable aspect that will help in the battle to free the
five compañeros. And it is that the people of the U.S.
learned the true nature of the ultra-right in Miami.
In the case of the five heroes, the problem is, there is no
knowledge about them in the United States. Once we explain
their case, people understand and support them. Imperialism
wants to keep their case secret.
They were arrested by the FBI not only to imprison
revolutionary Cubans, not only to give the green light to the
Miami terrorists, but also to intimidate the Cuban community in
Miami, which is more and more opposed to the blockade and
challenging the terror of the ultra-right.
In the committees in support of the five, one of our
principal tasks is to go to the people and seek their backing
through signatures on petitions. The petition is very important
because it shows the government that thousands of people
support their freedom, and we will be many more. The petitions
give us a vehicle to go to the street, to political forums, to
protests, and explain their struggle.
And being part of other progressive struggles, uniting the
struggle of the five heroes with others, gives us a much
broader audience. That synthesis of mutual solidarity gives
more strength.
For example, on April 20th in the anti-war coalition ANSWER,
we organized the largest demonstrations in the history of the
United States in solidarity with the Palestinian people:
100,000 in Washington and 35,000 in San Francisco, and a sea of
Palestinian flags.
The unbreakable resistance of the Palestinian people has
placed millions of people in the world on their side.
In these protests, the Cuban flag and this banner demanding
the freedom of the five compañeros were also
present.
We are producing an educational and inspiring video on the
five, because the people of the U.S. are capable of being
inspired to support just causes. Together with the admirable
work of their attorneys, by a proposal of former U.S. Attorney
General Ramsey Clark, a friend of Cuba, we will file a "friend
of the court" brief, and solicit signatures of attorneys.
Compañeros, from this dear tribunal, full of history
and struggle, I make a call to the foreign friends present
here, to the friends of Cuba, to form committees of support for
the five heroes in your countries. Let us stand side by side
with the Cuban people, with the Cuban compañeros.
Gerardo, Antonio, Ramón, René and Fernando are
men born and raised in this revolution. The U.S. prisons are
truly a nightmare, a great violation of human rights. And yet,
from the letters we receive from them, one sees their
steadfastness and determination. They will never be
defeated!
We are living in truly dangerous times for the world.
Bombing after bombing by the imperialists, massacres of
Palestinians while Bush declares that Ariel Sharon is a "man of
peace."
We see the empire speak openly of assassinating leaders, and
expressing their right to use nuclear arms. But we are also
living moments of glorious resistance and struggle, in
Palestine, in Venezuela, here in Cuba, and within the very
United States.
Bush, Clinton, Bush senior, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon,
Kennedy, Eisen hower, all have tried to destroy the Cuban
Revolution, but they haven't been able, nor will they be able
to.
While other leaders try to rescue themselves by embracing
Bush, while they betray their people, Cuba and our beloved
comandante continue raising the banner of revolution, the
banner of the truth of socialism.
Thank you, Fidel, for defending the world of the workers and
the oppressed. Thank you, Cuba, for showing that only socialism
can create a just society. Thank you, Fernando, René,
Ramón, Antonio and Gerardo, for your sacrifice, which
you have never renounced. We will never let you down. You will
be free and march anew with your beloved people in a May Day
like this.
They will return to Cuba! They will return to Cuba! They
will return!
Reprinted from the May 23, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
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