From Nova Scotia to British Columbia: Cuban Five case heard by Canadians all across the Country

Havana, Oct 4 (AIN) Hundreds of Canadians have heard about the case of the Five Cuban antiterrorist fighters held in US Jails during the cross country Canadian tour of Radio Havana Cuba's journalist Bernie Dwyer and Cuban TV director Roberto Ruiz with their documentary "Mission against Terror".

The documentary gives a short history of the years of aggression and sabotage emanating from the United States against Cuba since 1959. In particular it features the case of the five Cuban men, who went to Miami to infiltrate groups of terrorists to find out actions being planned against the Cuban Revolution so as to put a stop to the death and destruction against their country and people.

These men were arrested in Miami and subjected to a complete miscarriage of justice in a Miami court. In spite of a retrial being called for by a three judge panel from the appeals court in Atlanta, they are still being held in high security prisons throughout the United States.

The Canadian tour of Bernie and Roberto began in Toronto on September 18th and "Mission against Terror" has had showings in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, Kingston, Victoria and Vancouver. The directors of the documentary have been interviewed by local and national radio stations across the country including Radio Canada International and have also taken part in press conferences in Toronto and Montreal.

As well as public showings in the major cities, the documentary has been shown at art cinemas and clubs such as the Casa Oscura in Montreal and the BCGEU trade union Hall in Victoria.

Students from Acadia University in Halifax had the opportunity to see the documentary and discuss the case of the Five when Dwyer and Ruiz were invited to address 2nd year social movement and sociology classes at the college.

At Queen's University, Kingston, nearly 200 people turned up to a public showing expressing shock during the question and answer session at their ignorance of acts of terrorism carried out against Cuba on Canadian soil.

One young woman in the audience said that she had just returned from a six month work placement in Ghana and had read all about the case of the Five in the newspapers there and thought that it must be big news in Canada, She said she couldn't believe that there was nothing in the mainstream press about the case.

The presentation in Vancouver at the Simon Fraser University attracted nearly seventy people including several lawyers who were keen to get an update on the case. The lawyers present expressed their deep disappointment at the latest turn in the case and found it difficult to take in that the federal district attorney in Miami is asking the entire 11th Atlanta Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider the 93 page opinion handed down by the three judge panel from that very appeal court last August 9th.

The tour, organised by the Canadian Network on Cuba and Table Concertacion, with input from local Canadian/Cuba friendship and solidarity groups continues until October 9th and goes from Vancouver to Edmonton and on to Sakatoon, Calgary and Winnipeg.

Sent in by Bernie Dwyer

 

CA