¡Feliz cumpleaños, Lázaro! ¡En este día San Lázaro nos ha hecho un milagro!
I
did not think I would see this day.
The US has a tendency to imprison political prisoners forever, or as
close to that as can be managed. Examples are Mumia Abu-Jamal, still imprisoned
after more than 30 years, Leonard Peltier - almost 40, Sundiata Acoli still not released after
40 years, Oscar Lopez Rivera - about 33 years.
The
Cuban 5 are five Cuban men who were in U.S. prisons, serving disproportionately
long sentences, after being wrongly convicted in U.S. federal court in Miami,
on June 8, 2001. They are
Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René
González. The Five were falsely
accused by the U.S. government of conspiracy to commit espionage against the
United States, and other related charges.
But the Five pointed out in their defense that they were involved only
in monitoring the actions of Miami-based terrorist groups, in order to prevent
terrorist attacks on their country of Cuba. For more than 40 years, anti-Cuba terrorist organizations
based in Miami have engaged in countless terrorist activities against Cuba, and
against those who advocate a normalization of relations between the U.S. and
Cuba. The Cuban Five infiltrated the terrorist organizations in Miami to inform
Cuba of imminent attacks. The Cuban government informed the FBI. But instead of
arresting the terrorists, the FBI arrested the Cuban Five anti-terrorists in
1998.
The
release of the Cuban 5, or 5 Heroes, as they are called in Cuba, was a first
priority goal - dream, I thought - for the Cuban people. Many people internationally and some in
the US have been involved in the campaign to free these political
prisoners. An effective news
blackout in the US meant that few people knew about this case. Rene and Fernando were recently
released after serving their full sentences. Gerardo, who was sentenced to 2 life terms plus 15 years,
Ramon, sentenced to 30 years, Antonio, sentenced to 21 years and 10 months were
released on December 17, 2014, as part of the deal involving a US intelligence
agent imprisoned in Cuba.
I
was in Cuba when the news of the release of the remaining 3 of the 5 Heroes was
announced. People were in the
streets cheering, crying, hugging and kissing strangers, delirious with joy. They had taken this
personally. Cubans are very family
oriented and these men who had sacrificed their freedom, their youth, their
family life, and potentially their own lives to protect their fellow citizens -
they were family members who had suddenly and unexpectedly been freed. Some religious people said that San
Lázaro had made this miracle, since it was his saint's day, a major religious
holiday in Cuba. Everyone knew
that it was a victory for the Cuban people. The Cuban 5, truly 5 Heroes, never
gave in despite solitary confinement, deprival of family visits, and the
possibility of dying in a US prison.
They never surrendered or denounced the Revolution for the sake of their
own freedom, but won that freedom as a result of their own courage and the
courage of the Cuban people and their supporters worldwide.
What
did Obama actually do?
*He "traded" the remaining 3 prisoners of the
Cuban 5 for a US intelligence agent, probably Rolando Sarraff Trujillo. Alan
Gross, another US agent, was freed by the Cubans on humanitarian grounds, clearly
part of the deal although not technically part of the trade.
*He announced the establishment of diplomatic relations.
*He announced a policy of cooperation on specific mutual
interests, like disaster response, drug trafficking, and health.
*He stated that Kerry would "review" Cuba's being
on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
*He suggested that licenses for travel, commerce,
telecommunications, and financial dealings with Cuba will be easier to obtain.
What he did not do:
*The blockade of Cuba continues in force.
*US citizens still do not have the same freedom to travel to
Cuba as elsewhere in the world; a license is still required.
*Guantanamo remains in the hands of the US, and prisoners
who have never had trials remain imprisoned there, subject to torture.
*He did not end the overt and covert attempts to destabilize
Cuba.
What
else is going on?
Cuba has proved to be too tough a bone to crack, as the
Cubans have always said it would be. In Latin America some countries have
organized alternatives to FTAA "free trade" agreements proposed by
the US. ALBA is an
intergovernmental organization of socialist and social-democratic governments,
based on a vision of mutual aid.
Venezuela is key to this alliance, as it is to UNASUR and MERCOSUR,
other attempts at regional cooperation without US domination among Latin
American nations. The US sees
Venezuela as vulnerable, and will intensify its efforts to destabilize a
progressive government there.
