New Cuba 5 campaign
A fight to win the right for family visits
By Teresa Gutierrez
The National Committee to Free the Cuban 5 has
launched an important campaign to win visiting rights for Olga
Salanueva and Adriana Pérez, wives of René
González and Gerardo Hernández, respectively.
Hernández and González, along with their
comrades Fernando González, Ramón Labañino
and Antonio Guerrero, were wrongfully imprisoned by the U.S.
Justice Department in September 1998 for defending Cuba from
terrorist attacks organized from the United States. The five
were charged with espionage against the U.S., when in fact they
were infiltrating the anti-Cuba, anti-Fidel Castro terrorist
groups operating from southern Florida.
They were tried and convicted in May 2001 in Miami--the
center for the anti-Castro right-wing terrorist groups. In
December 2001 they were sentenced and sent to five federal
prisons throughout this country to serve long prison
terms-three for life terms.
Salanueva and Pérez have been denied entry visas by
the U.S. three times and have been unable to visit their
husbands.
Gloria La Riva, national coordinator of the committee, said,
"For the families to win the right to visit their husbands will
take the support of thousands of people, from the U.S. and
around the world.
"This campaign," she continued, "has already gained
tremendous momentum, not only in this country but around the
world."
'When will there be justice?'
Olga Salanueva, wife of René González wrote:
"I have requested a visa to visit René on three
occasions. Three times I have been denied by the U.S.
government authorities. In this manner, they have also deprived
my little Ivette of any contact with her father.
"If every person in prison has the right to be visited by
family members and should have their human rights and dignity
respected, then why can't we be reunited even under these cruel
conditions? Why do they keep a couple from holding hands as a
sign of support, love and commitment?"
With the case of the Cuban Five, the Cuban people have once
again learned the depths of the inhumane justice system in the
U.S.
The wife of Gerardo Hernández, Adriana Pérez,
stated: "The repeated denial of a visa has forced us into a
major separation, to suffer the constant violation of human
rights and international law. It increases our anxiety and the
perpetual punishment of not being able to see each other.
"With almost 15 years of marriage, I ask myself: When will
we be able to look into each others' eyes? Who has the right to
violate international law? When will there be justice?"
Many agree with these women. The cam paign to win visas has
attracted significant support here and around the world.
Ossie Davis, Ramsey Clark, Dolores Huerta, Jane Franklin,
attorney Michael Smith and Bishop Thomas Gumbleton are some of
the individuals who have signed on to the call to allow
Salanueva and Pérez to enter the U.S.
In addition, the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, Bishop Gumbleton
and the Rev. Lucius Walker have said that they would be part of
a ministerial accompaniment for the wives.
Around the world, Cuba 5 solidarity committees have picked
up the call for the visa campaign and are gathering
signatures.
La Riva stated, "This is a winnable campaign. We are
confident that we can mount the kind of struggle that is needed
to make sure that Salanueva and Pérez visit their
husbands."
To find out how you can help, contact the committee at (415)
821-6545 in San Francisco or (212) 633-6646 in New York. For
more information or literature on the campaign, visit
www.freethefive.org.
Reprinted from the Aug. 7, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page