Justice will prevail in our cause

The Cuban Five, still in U.S. jails despite an appellate court ruling that they did not receive a fair trial on trumped-up charges of conspiracy to commit espion age, sent the following New Year’s message to the Cuban people.

The year 2005 comes to an end amid great challenges and also important victories.

Despite the intensified criminal blockade and low blows from the neofascist Bush administration, the reality is that the friendship and the shows of solidarity between the people of the U.S. and Cuba have strengthened.

The Cuban economy has not only resisted but managed to grow by more than 11 percent. Once again, the obnoxious blockade was overwhelmingly condemned by 182 countries at the UN General Assembly.

On the other hand, the Bolivarian Revolution [in Venezuela] closely joined with ours, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) and the growing trade with friendly countries promise a brighter future, not just for our country but for the Americas and humanity. A new hope is burgeoning on the planet. The development of Cuba’s military, political and economic invulnerability, as stated by our Commander-in-Chief, represents vital strategic victories.

In our particular situation there were also some important victories in 2005.

In May we learned of the decision from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions that declared our detention as arbitrary and illegal.

Later, on Aug. 9, a unanimous decision from three judges in Atlanta overturned our convictions and ordered a new trial outside of Miami. Despite the fact that the prosecution and the U.S. government are using legal maneuvers to stall justice, we are convinced that in the end we will be victorious.

This 2006 will be a decisive year in our case. We must not stop in this battle for truth and justice, denouncing all the maneuvers and bad faith of the prosecution. In the end, we will surely all celebrate the victory with our return to Cuba.

Many challenges and difficulties lie ahead but we are sure that our united people will win each battle as there is no human or natural force that could stand in the way of all the love and justice behind our cause.

Dear compatriots, we, your five brothers, are deeply proud of you, of our Revo lution and of having the honor to live this important moment in our country’s history.

From our trenches in the heart of the empire, we want to wish you success and happiness in 2006.

We hope to soon be together with you in our beloved country to celebrate another glorious anniversary of our Revolution.

Long Live the 47th Anniversary
of the Revolution!

Happy 2006!

Gerardo Hernández
Antonio Guerrero
Fernando González
René González
Ramón Labañino