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We will continue the fight for
their return
Nuria Barbosa León
Orlando Méndez Perera (Photos)
René
González is one of the Cuban Five who were convicted
and imprisoned in the U.S. for fighting terrorism
against Cuba, organized and financed in Florida.
After completing his unjust sentence, he returned to
Cuba in May, 2013, as did Fernando González who
arrived home in February, 2014. Gerardo Hernández,
Antonio Guerrero and Ramón Labañino remain
incarcerated in U.S. prisons, and millions of voices
around the world continue to demand their freedom.
Granma International spoke with René at the Cuban
Friendship Institute.
What
message would you send to your three imprisoned
brothers?
First I would congratulate Gerardo and Ramón
on their birthdays (June 4 and 9, respectively).
Remind them that this is a happy occasion, even
though they will complete 16 years in prison in
September. They have been able to remain happy in
adverse circumstances, in the prisons where they are
confined, precisely because they defend Cuban
children’s happiness, so they don’t grow up without
parents, and so they can live without an act of
terrorism or crime interrupting their lives.
We
will continue the fight for their return home and we
won’t rest until we bring this brutal and undeserved
punishment to an end. A punishment which I have
known, and remember every morning, when I wake up. I
think about how they are waking up in a cell like
the one I lived in, for more than 13 years, and I am
overwhelmed by the urgent need to put an end to this
punishment.
In
your opinion, why is the 3rd Five Days for the Cuban
Five in Washington so important?
Our
fight has been to bring the truth about The Five to
the U.S. - a truth which has been silenced, above
all kept from the U.S. public. This event is
important because this is an opportune moment to be
heard by the White House. Millions of people are
calling for resolution of the case and, to put it in
astrological terms: the stars are aligned more than
ever, due to political and historic reasons which
are occurring right now.
We
hope that the event will surpass the others and we
will succeed, because we have organized ourselves
well, have generated much support, and are well
prepared. We want the city of Washington to feel the
call for freedom for Gerardo, Antonio and Ramón, and
that the U.S. government finally listens, and acts
accordingly, to free our three compañeros.
After the events in Washington, what other
activities are planned?
The
most important thing is to organize to get the
message to U.S. society. Other solidarity events in
Cuba and other countries are planned, but the most
important one is in Washington, this month of June.
The most important thing is to unite a bit more,
focus all the energy which has been generated
towards other cities in the U.S., because only the
solidarity of millions of people will open our
compañeros’ cells.
We
will continue to organize these types of activities
to call attention to the issue, but once this event
is over, we will be preparing for next year’s event
because our interest is in systemizing the work.
The
political discourse among the tenants of the White
House is changing, we understand the reasons behind
these efforts, but the important thing is that it
changes. This is an opportune moment for the
government to receive our message, which is why we
must systemize the work.
Could you please send a message to the solidarity
movements and committees calling for the freedom of
The Five around the world.
First gratitude, secondly admiration, because these
movements work in difficult conditions. In Cuba
there exists a Revolution which has sown in the
people, and in society, a feeling of solidarity, but
in other countries this is unthinkable, with the
predominance of individualism and selfishness. In
this context, amidst these limitations, compañeros
have remained in solidarity with Cuba, with The Five
and this is worthy of admiration. I think they are
extraordinary people and therefore deserve our
respect and gratitude.
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