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René González, a Cuban patriot
Sergio Alejandro Gómez & Livia Rodríguez Delis
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DURING a press conference in Havana, René González,
one of the five Cuban heroes unjustly convicted in
the U.S. for anti-terrorist activities, said, “My
commitment to this people is the only possible
response I can make to the solidarity, affection and
support 11 million Cubans have shown me.”
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René with his wife, Olga
Salanueva.
(Foto: Jorge Luis González) |
Accompanied by his family, René affirmed that he
considered himself “a Cuban patriot, who identifies
with our struggle and our project.” His priority, he
continued, will be to join the campaign to free his
four brothers.
“Until they are all here, we must continue
fighting,” René said, “They are going to persevere,
they will not surrender.”
He
had but one word for U.S. President Barack Obama:
courage. This is the only thing that the President
needs to do justice, René believes.
In
reference to the international campaign to free the
four Cubans who remain imprisoned, René commented,
“U.S. society must be reached. The people in that
country must know that the U.S. government put us in
prison to protect their own terrorists. The people
must know that a judge told me terrorism is bad, but
that I didn’t have the right to combat it there.”
Addressing his difficult years in prison, he said
that he very much appreciated the thousands of
letters he received and laments not having been able
to answer each and every one. He commented that the
dignity and status afforded to those who were
fighting for justice, by the prison population, also
helped.
“Each of us,” René said, “confronted this test with
our own resources. I exercised and read. Tony is
communicating all the time; Ramón has his sports;
Fernando is studying and Gerardo has that sense of
humor which allows him to rise above any tragedy.”
René
also shared his impressions of the Cuba he has
re-encountered. He recalled that during his visit
last year, he was joking with some young men in
Cotorro (Havana) and said that the streets have more
potholes. “But the people have the same essence and
that makes me happy,” he added.
A
journalist asked about his grandson, Ignacio René,
Irmita’s son, “A baseball player or a pilot?”
René
responded immediately, “If it’s up to me, I’d say
pilot, because I’m terrible at baseball.”
Renunciation of U.S. citizenship process initiated
“I’m
very happy to be in Cuba, with my family and my
people, to rejoin the society I belong to,” René
said after initiating the process of renouncing his
U.S. citizenship at the U.S. Interests Section in
Havana, with his attorney Phillip Horowitz.
“I
have many mixed emotions about the process. My
father died; I came to see him and in these
circumstances, this opportunity arose, but we’ll
continue to move forward.”
The
anti-terrorist arrived at the Interests Section,
also accompanied by his family, and was received
with demonstrations of affection and support from
residents in the area, who noticed his arrival. In
reference to the specifics of the process, René
explained that this is technical procedure, which he
initiated by completing the necessary application to
renounce his citizenship and that he was treated
professionally by the Interests Section staff.
“I
will subsequently be provided with a Loss of
Citizenship Certificate from the Department of State
and, once this happens, I will no longer be a U.S.
citizen. I will be a proud Cuban citizen,” he added.
He
indicated that the process should be complete by May
16, within the period designated by Judge Joan
Lenard when she accepted his request to modify the
terms of his probation, allowing him to remain in
Cuba, in exchange for renouncing his U.S.
citizenship.
According to the judge’s stipulations, on May 23,
René must present a report on his status and a copy
of the document certifying his loss of citizenship
to the court. From the bottom of his heart, the
designated Hero of the Republic of Cuba reiterated
the necessity of continuing the struggle to free his
four brothers,
“It
is an injustice and a crime that they are
imprisoned. We must continue to fight, because their
families and the Cuban people need them.”
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René can remain
in Cuba
ON
May 3, Judge Joan Lenard accepted the request
presented by René González to modify the conditions
of his supervised release and remain in Cuba, in
exchange for renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
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6th INTERNATIONAL EVENT FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE FIVE
"We
weren’t even allowed to
touch his hand"
"WE
weren’t even allowed to touch hands, neither the
girls nor I," affirmed Elizabeth Palmeiro, while
recounting details of a recent visit to her husband
Ramón Labañino, imprisoned in the United States.
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René in Cuba
SHORTLY
after noon on March 30, Hero of the Republic René
González Sehwerert, one of the five anti-terrorist
Cuban fighters sentenced unjustly to long prison
terms in the United States, arrived in Cuba for a
private family visit |
