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CUBAN Parliamentary President Ricardo Alarcón has
spoken out on the need to increase efforts aimed at
securing the release of the five Cubans imprisoned
in the United States for fighting terrorism.
The alert took place at the International
Conference Center in Havana during the Universidad
2008 International Congress on Higher Education.
Alarcón indicated that it is necessary to think
about "what still needs to be done and how to do it
in the best way in order to be effective." He added
that in the struggle for the release of the Five,
the most important aspect is solidarity in the
United States and the world, given that it not just
about fighting a legal battle.
He highlighted the fact that they have secured
the support of certain Latin American and European
parliamentarians to speak out about the case, in
comparison with the United States, where the only
political figure who has expressed her support for
the Five is former independent Congress member
Cynthia McKinney. Although there have been certain
statements made within influential circles in the
United States, the campaign is attempting to link up
with progressive lawyers’ associations in that
country. Alarcón asked representatives from Cuban
and Latin American universities to communicate with
their U.S. counterparts and called for the U.S.
media to be "bombarded" with letters and telephone
calls.
"This year, we are going to meet with a panel of
judges. Can we allow ourselves the luxury of
thinking that they will throw out the case? We have
to expect the worst. We have to look at how to join
forces to reach the U.S. public and ensure they find
out the truth about this case." •
