Resolution from the European Congress of Solidarity with Cuba, Luxembourg 20-21 November 2004.

Set them free!
Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González - political prisoners in the USA!

For more than 40 years, terrorist groups in the United States have waged a dirty war against Cuba: This very day terrorist groups train openly in Miami. During the past decade bombs have been planted in Cuban hotels by these terrorists maiming many and causing death. Terrorists coming by boat from the USA have been caught with guns and explosives by the Cuban coastguard. 1976 these terrorists bombed a Cuban civilian airplane over midsea, killing all 73 people on board. These over 40 years of terrorism have included bombings of Cuban embassies, countless attempts to kill Fidel Castro, biological warfare infecting crops, introduction of swine fever (1971) and a dengue epidemic (1981), etc. More than 3.500 Cubans have been killed as a consequence of these terrorist attacks.

The White House has declared a war against terror and world-wide hunts for terrorists. However the US Government does not include its own terrorists in this hunt. For example; Orlando Bosch who was responsible for the bombing of the Cuban civilian airplane in 1976, walks around today in Miami as a free man. The Cuban government demands that the US Government put an end to these terrorists' activities but the U.S. government has not cooperated. Like every other country, Cuba has the right and the duty to defend itself against terror. The White House gave the Cuban government no other choice than to infiltrate the terrorist networks in Miami. That was the only way to collect information about the terrorists' plans and prevent more bloodshed. On the 17th of July 1998 Cuba handed a large file to the FBI with details about numerous terrorist groups in Miami and the terrorist plans they had. The FBI promised to take action. But, the action the FBI took was to arrest the Five Cubans in Miami who had at great personal risk collected the information.

These Five Cubans were accused of conspiracy with the intention to spy and conspiracy to commit murder. After a farce of a trial with a jury under threat, the Five Cubans were sentenced a total of four life terms plus 75 years. Their only sin was to prevent terrorist attacks. They are imprisoned in very severe and inhuman conditions. Against all regulations they have been subjected to long periods of solitary confinement. Until today, Adriana Pérez has not been allowed to visit her husband, Gerardo Hernández. Ivette González, six years old, has not seen her father Rene for four years because her mother, Olga Salanueva, is prohibited entry to the US. Amnesty International has condemned those blatant violations of human rights several times. Amnesty International raises questions about the course of the trial.

The Five Cubans are a symbol of the resistance and high morale of the Cuban people against the aggressive policies of the US Government against the Cuban people. The Five Cubans risked their lives to save others. We sympathize with them and their families, and express our solidarity with the Cuban people. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the Five. We insist that their family be allowed to visit them and that they be given a new trial in another city than the terrorism-infected Miami. We severely condemn all terrorist attempts against Cuba and demand that the US authorities immediately prevent all subversive actions against the island, which originate from within the USA. The cruel and anachronistic economic blockade, recently condemned practically unanimously by the United Nations' General Assembly, must be immediately put to an end. We demand that the European Union stop its sanctions against Cuba, and treat it as a sovereign country, which includes restoring normal relations with Cuba.

European Congress of Solidarity with Cuba, Luxembourg 20-21 November 2004

Dear René, Fernando, Gerardo, Ramón and Antonio,

We want to express our deepest solidarity with you and your families. We admire your commitment to your people and your country. You are the symbol and the embodiment of the resistance of the Cuban people against the aggression of the US. Your indestructible morale, in spite of the difficult and harsh conditions in which you have to live, is an example for all of us. It is an incentive to enhance our solidarity with Cuba.

We hope for a fair and just trial in appeal. We denounce the fact that the US government obstructs a regular visit of your family. That’s a violation of essential human rights. We are taking action against that. We will do everything within our possibilities to inform the people in Europe about your case. We will try to get support from deputies in our countries and in the European Parliament for your release.

Together with you and the Cuban people we raise our fist against the American government and the anti-Cuban mafia of Miami. We hope the very best for you and your family.

In solidarity the 41 delegations from 21 countries, participating in the European Congress of Solidarity with Cuba, Luxembourg 20-21 November 2004,