The Cuban Five are Love

Ana Margarita Gonzalez and Rafael Hojas

While we were in the hall listening to the arguments of the former district attorney of the United States (U.S.), Ramsey Clark, in favor to the freedom of Gerardo, Ramon and Tony, the cry of a baby called the attention of the audience. Right then, the singular way to “speak” showed that in the world the Cuban Five have friends who are five months old that say: 16 years is too much time!

Pau –meaning Paul and Peace in Catalan- Montesinos not only came to Havana with his mother and grandmother, who are part of the Catalonian delegation to the X International Colloquium for the Freedom of the Cuban Five and against Terrorism, but to participate in the activities that are systematically held in that region and others from Spain where the Defensem Cuba (Let’s Defend Cuba) Movement, which is 24 years old of foundation, joins voices in favor to the incarceration of the Cuban antiterrorist fighters.

Alba Blanco is from the middle generation of this family. She said they have a platform in solidarity with Cuba made of five organizations. “We are part of the Casal (house) Friendship House with Cuba from Barcelona, and we joined the campaign for the release of the Cuban Five since 2002, when we knew about this situation by the Consulate.”

She is a political scientist; she graduated as master in Latin American and Caribbean Studies in Havana and works at the Cuban Consulate in Barcelona. In the afternoon she devotes some hours to a foundation. She prepares activities in solidarity with Cuba, takes care of her family: “I am one more workers.”

“For years we have been fighting against blockade, interference and in favor to the self determination of every country; these are our main working goals, always in solidarity with Cuba and lined up with the policies of the Peoples’ Cuban Friendship Institute.

“When we knew about the case of the Cuban Five the information was contradictory. This is a topic in Europe no one knows about it. It is not published in any newspaper, and the least they publish is distorted: that they were spies, doing terrorist attacks, and so on.

“So, we are in solidarity with Cuba in this sense, giving people the real information, the truth. The Cuban five are love; were fighting for their homeland and they are really antiterrorist heroes.

“We were well documented by lawyer Roberto Gonzalez, Rene Gonzalez brother who was in Barcelona in 2004 and delivered conferences clarifying the issue.

“We work like ants. We take our stand to every city we visit and chat with the audience. We carry out international campaigns for the freedom of the Cuban Five: We have contributed with money for the activities done in Washington, for the European meetings, for those in Spain.

“Catalonian delegations actively participated in Holguin’s meetings and the in solidarity activities have improved with this cause, above all, in the broadcasting of the case, involving politicians from our country, promoting motions in more than 100 city councils in Catalonia, so that the municipal plenary declared for the release of the Cuban Five.

“In some cases we included topics from the human rights view point, as much incisive as possible, according to the governor in power: we have welcomed the relatives of the Cuban Five many times. We work with our members of the parliament to get interaction with other European and US counterparts, at a higher level than simple information to the people.

“We have understood the fight in Washington is essential because it is only there where the case can take another course if we pressure up to be able Obama sign a presidential right to free them, which will be the ideal solution; however, the behavior so far of the Peace Nobel Prize has been a fiasco.

“There is no other option than fight no matter how so the case gets to the US senators and representatives, to have the Congress make declaration. Solidarity is all over the world, but if the US is not conscious that by pressure the Cuban five can be released, will get little than the rest of the countries. The battle there is vital.

“What our compatriots the Cuban five did were actions of love. The US is trying to govern the whole world, but Cuba does not line up with Washington; it still defending its political system and that I what they cannot pardon. Repression against those good men is a way to express that.”

The activities in solidarity carried out in Catalonia have not received physical repression. “Violence is not our purpose, but to have people know about the case, to make popular, pressure the media and parliamentarians. We prefer they allow us manifest and express ourselves, without much pressure and this way prevent the prohibition of our actions in the future.”

Our interviewer admitted that on the contrary to the official media, they find accurate information in the alternative means of communication about Cuba and the Cuban Five. “They are solidarity sources of work. We are also updated on what Cubaminrex , Cubainformacion, Telesur, Facebook, Twitter and Cuban bloggers’ websites publish in a hard job in favor to the freedom of Gerardo, Ramon and Toy. We familiarize with those contents, translate them and try to create new ones together with the information we already have.”

In relation to the risks they take to be in solidarity with Cuba, Alba thinks: “There was a change in the legislation of Spain. They are about to pass Mordaza Law that prohibits social movements and people manifest, and possibly, if in the future we decide to do some kind of anti-interference activity, we can be arrested or be fined of about 300,000 Euros.”

But “Cuba is my second homeland, is an example of dignity, and that fighting is the only way to be an honorable free people and with the same opportunities, no matter the last name you have, the social position you have, the color of the skin you have, the height, the weight you have, you can study, go to the university and if you are sick they cure you.

I lived two years in El Salvador and knew capitalism in Central America, and then you realize the freedom you have in Cuba. The simple fact that if you are sick, you can go to the doctor is a great advance. If you have been in a country where there is no universalized social insurance, you realize how sad is to die with diarrheas. It does not happen in Cuba.”

Alba’s mother, Ana Ruiz also has a long history in favor to the Cuban cause. In the last years, she travelled to Holguin to attend the colloquiums for the release of the Cuban Five and she has participated in many activities organized in Europe.

“There is an evolution in the way of struggle for the freedom of the Cuban Five. Actions are focused to power and those who can take decisions to free them. That is why we give all our best support to the activities in Washington and although we are not physically present there, there is always someone representing us.

“From the political point of view, it has been great how we have accompanied the relatives of the Cuban Five to the Catalonian Parliament to inform there on the case, because I cry when I hear Adriana or Tony’s mother and so they do, no matter how much important politicians and what personalities they are.

“We are not media professionals, but we do things with the heart and will, in an altruist way. We have gathered signs, and are still devoted on the possibility that Gerardo receive the visit of his wife Adriana as it is permitted to any inmate. We send hundreds of postcards to Obama every 5 in each month, and we are not going to stop until Gerardo, Ramon and Tony can receive a huge from their relatives in their homeland.”