Bolshevist
10th January 2005, 01:33
Who are the Cuban Five? Why are they imprisoned in the United States?
Ian Thompson
Civil rights attorney Leonard Weinglass represents Antonio Guerrero, one of the five Cuban prisoners unjustly incarcerated in the U.S. for defending their homeland. As the legal team and supporters of the Five awaited the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision on the case, Socialism and Liberation's Ian Thompson interviewed Weinglass about the Cuban Five and the importance of the case for the U.S. and Cuba.
Who are the Cuban Five? Why are they imprisoned in the United States?
The Cuban Five are five men who came to the United States in the early 1990s in response to the wave of violence directed at Cuba by mercenary groups from the Cuban exile community in southern Florida. Their names are Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando Gonzáles and René González.
The Five were sent by the Cuban government unarmed and without any plan to inflict harm on the U.S. Their sole purpose was to infiltrate the network of terrorist groups that had been attacking Cuba since the triumph of the Revolution.
They came at a particular time in the history of the Cuban Revolution. Cuba's number one trading partner, the Soviet Union, had recently collapsed, and the economy of Cuba had gone into freefall. The Cuban government decided that one of the ways to restore economic health in Cuba was to engage in the tourist industry. The tourist industry was built up in 1992-93 and was an ongoing concern through 1994-95. In response, the mercenary wing of the Cuban exile community in South Florida decided to begin a violent terror campaign against the tourist industry as a way of undercutting the Cuban economy.
Bombs were placed in various hotels by anti-Cuban terrorists, in one instance killing an Italian tourist. A bomb was placed in the Havana airport. Bombs were placed in buses to and from the airport. The Cuban government protested these terrorist activities to the U.S., but to no avail. They protested to the United Nations, also without a response. As a result, beginning in the 1994-95 period, the Cuban Five came forward to protect their country.
The Five quickly succeeded in infiltrating the groups and reporting warnings to Cuba of the plans being developed to attack Cuba. In 1996-97, the U.S. government became aware of their presence in this country, and the FBI rounded them up in 1998. They were prosecuted on a variety of charges, including failure to register as foreign agents. Three were charged with conspiracy to commit espionage; one was charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
A Miami jury convicted them on all counts after a seven-month trial. The trial of the Five was the longest trial in the history of the U.S. at the time. During the trial, the attorneys for the Five requested a change of venue from Miami to another city five times. The judge denied each request.
In December 2001, two of the Five were sentenced to life in prison, one to 19 years, and one to 15 years. Gerardo Hernández received two life terms.
You represent Antonio Guerrero, one of the Cuban Five. What is he like as a person?
I spoke to Antonio just two days ago. We are constantly in touch with each other. Most often by letter, but occasionally we can speak by telephone. He is a remarkable person, a man of high principle and integrity, and obviously strong and courageous. He is also a poet with a poet's sentiment and feeling. His expression is marvelous and always very touching and direct.
Antonio went to prison-one of the most difficult prisons in the United States-with the government hoping he would be treated roughly by other prisoners, especially those who are Cuban exiles. They hoped he would have a hard time because he was, in their view, a convicted spy, although he was never charged with spying. As it turns out, Antonio is beloved by the other prisoners. He is a teacher within the prison.
Over a year ago, when Antonio was removed from his class and subjected to very harsh treatment in solitary confinement, his students went on strike. I can see when I visit him that he is respected not only by other prisoners but by the guards as well.
Antonio's situation is similar to that which developed around Nelson Mandela during his long imprisonment. By virtue of who he was and the way Mandela conducted himself, he won other people over. They respected him, they felt very close and secure with him. It is the same way with Antonio.
It is a pleasure and a great honor for me to be part of his defense team.
http://www.antiterroristas.cu/
http://www.granma.cu/miami5/ingles/index.html
http://www.freethefive.org/
Ian Thompson
Civil rights attorney Leonard Weinglass represents Antonio Guerrero, one of the five Cuban prisoners unjustly incarcerated in the U.S. for defending their homeland. As the legal team and supporters of the Five awaited the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision on the case, Socialism and Liberation's Ian Thompson interviewed Weinglass about the Cuban Five and the importance of the case for the U.S. and Cuba.
Who are the Cuban Five? Why are they imprisoned in the United States?
The Cuban Five are five men who came to the United States in the early 1990s in response to the wave of violence directed at Cuba by mercenary groups from the Cuban exile community in southern Florida. Their names are Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando Gonzáles and René González.
The Five were sent by the Cuban government unarmed and without any plan to inflict harm on the U.S. Their sole purpose was to infiltrate the network of terrorist groups that had been attacking Cuba since the triumph of the Revolution.
They came at a particular time in the history of the Cuban Revolution. Cuba's number one trading partner, the Soviet Union, had recently collapsed, and the economy of Cuba had gone into freefall. The Cuban government decided that one of the ways to restore economic health in Cuba was to engage in the tourist industry. The tourist industry was built up in 1992-93 and was an ongoing concern through 1994-95. In response, the mercenary wing of the Cuban exile community in South Florida decided to begin a violent terror campaign against the tourist industry as a way of undercutting the Cuban economy.
Bombs were placed in various hotels by anti-Cuban terrorists, in one instance killing an Italian tourist. A bomb was placed in the Havana airport. Bombs were placed in buses to and from the airport. The Cuban government protested these terrorist activities to the U.S., but to no avail. They protested to the United Nations, also without a response. As a result, beginning in the 1994-95 period, the Cuban Five came forward to protect their country.
The Five quickly succeeded in infiltrating the groups and reporting warnings to Cuba of the plans being developed to attack Cuba. In 1996-97, the U.S. government became aware of their presence in this country, and the FBI rounded them up in 1998. They were prosecuted on a variety of charges, including failure to register as foreign agents. Three were charged with conspiracy to commit espionage; one was charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
A Miami jury convicted them on all counts after a seven-month trial. The trial of the Five was the longest trial in the history of the U.S. at the time. During the trial, the attorneys for the Five requested a change of venue from Miami to another city five times. The judge denied each request.
In December 2001, two of the Five were sentenced to life in prison, one to 19 years, and one to 15 years. Gerardo Hernández received two life terms.
You represent Antonio Guerrero, one of the Cuban Five. What is he like as a person?
I spoke to Antonio just two days ago. We are constantly in touch with each other. Most often by letter, but occasionally we can speak by telephone. He is a remarkable person, a man of high principle and integrity, and obviously strong and courageous. He is also a poet with a poet's sentiment and feeling. His expression is marvelous and always very touching and direct.
Antonio went to prison-one of the most difficult prisons in the United States-with the government hoping he would be treated roughly by other prisoners, especially those who are Cuban exiles. They hoped he would have a hard time because he was, in their view, a convicted spy, although he was never charged with spying. As it turns out, Antonio is beloved by the other prisoners. He is a teacher within the prison.
Over a year ago, when Antonio was removed from his class and subjected to very harsh treatment in solitary confinement, his students went on strike. I can see when I visit him that he is respected not only by other prisoners but by the guards as well.
Antonio's situation is similar to that which developed around Nelson Mandela during his long imprisonment. By virtue of who he was and the way Mandela conducted himself, he won other people over. They respected him, they felt very close and secure with him. It is the same way with Antonio.
It is a pleasure and a great honor for me to be part of his defense team.
http://www.antiterroristas.cu/
http://www.granma.cu/miami5/ingles/index.html
http://www.freethefive.org/