Radio Havana Cuba reporter Bernie Dwyer is currently touring Europe and Scandinavia with her documentary on the five Cuban political prisoners held in US penitentiaries and on the terrorist attacks Cuba has suffered for more than 40 years. The documentary, called ‘Mission Against Terror’ had its international premiere at the European Cuba Solidarity Groups Bi-Annual Meeting in Luxembourg on November 21st and Bernie and the President of the Belgian Committee to Free the Five who is also the Coordinator of the European-wide Campaign, Katherine de Munck called Stephen Fay at Radio Havana Cuba with the following report:

Bernie Dwyer: What I really want to talk about is our showing of the documentary in Luxembourg at a meeting of the European Cuba Solidarity Groups on the 20th and 21st of November. More than 120 representatives from 21 European countries were at the meeting that is held every two years in a different European country. One of the Vice Presidents of the Cuban Friendship Institute (ICAP) was at the showing as was the Cuban Ambassador to Luxembourg and Belgium.

These events are always a little nerve-wracking as you wonder how many people will attend, but the room was absolutely packed. I have with me here a representative from the Free the Five Committee in Belgium, Katherine de Muck, who would like to give you her impressions.

Katherine de Munck: I had very high expectations because we really needed a good documentary on the Five. I wondered if this documentary would be what we needed and I have to say I was very impressed. Not only me, but also all the other people present at the showing.

For me the documentary has two important elements. On the one hand, it gives a lot of information about what the Five were doing in the United States; about the terrorist attacks that have occurred against Cuba since the very beginning of the Revolution, which is something that most people don’t even realise; and about the fact that Cuba needs to defend itself against these attacks. All this is very well presented in the film by people such as former CIA agent Philip Agee, Leonard Weinglass and even Cubans in Miami. It is very important to realise that the Five did nothing wrong and can’t be called spies because they weren’t. That is the documentary’s first important element – making it clear why the Five where in the US and how they were protecting their people and their homeland. The second important element is emphasising human aspects of the whole question shown in the interviews with the family members. We can really see what it means for the families of the Five and how unjust the whole situation is.

Stephen Fay: Do you think the documentary will be a useful tool for the Belgian Campaign to Free the Five?

KdM: Yes of course. We need to make people understand that Cuba is under constant aggression and needs to defend itself. We also need to inform people about the Five, show them what their case is really about and how unjustly they were treated. We must continue with our huge campaign to set them free.

SF: The feeling in Cuba was that the documentary came at a perfect time to boost the campaign and bring the issue of the Cuban Five back into the headlines. Would you agree?

KdM: Yes I would. We were looking for ways to promote our campaign because we are waiting for the results of our appeal and public opinion is crucial. We have just launched a new petition campaign in Belgium addressed to the Human Rights Committee of the European Parliament. That petition was adopted this weekend by the other countries present at the meeting. This documentary is a very important way to make the case known and so help us to work with our petition.

SF: Were the other people present at the premiere equally as positive about the documentary?

KdM: Yes. They were clapping for several minutes and everyone is very keen to start work with the documentary straight away. We are really glad we have this documentary.

Bernie Dwyer: Brussels calls itself the heart of the European Community and the Cuban Ambassadors and diplomatic staff present at the showing are very keen to use the documentary to give European parliamentarians some insight into the problems Cuba faces and into the injustice of the Five’s case. I am very proud to be a part of this campaign. We are here in Brussels tonight and then we are going to Oslo tomorrow and sincerely hope the documentary has the desired effect.