September 10, 2007...9:41 pm
New Coalition Announces Press Conference on the “Cuban Five”
A newly-formed coalition, the DC Metro Free the Cuban Five Committee, will hold a press conference and rally on Wednesday, September 12, 2007, to announce a month-long campaign to free the Cuban Five. For over forty years, Miami-based, right-wing groups have planned and committed terrorist acts against Cuba; yet, the US refuses to investigate these activities. Because of this refusal, Cuba made the necessary decision to send five Cuban men to the US to monitor these terrorist groups and to warn Cuba of imminent attacks. Considering the US’ declaration to fight terrorism worldwide, why would the Bush administration allow terrorists to operate within the US who plan and commit violent acts against the people of Cuba?
Press Conference
Date: Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: In front of Department of Justice, 9th St., & Penn. Ave., NW
Press Conference Speakers:
-Gloria La Riva, Coord., Nat’l. Free the Cuban Five Comm.
-Luis Rumbaut, former DC Assistant Attorney General,
Communications Director of the Cuban American
Alliance Education Fund, Inc. (CAAEF)
-Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Hip Hop Caucus
-Banbose Shango, Venezuela Solidarity Network
-Rev. Whit Hutchison, Wesley Methodist Church
-Netfa Freeman, No War on Cuba
-Eugene Puryear, International ANSWER
-Shirley Pate, Women’s Int’l. League for Peace & Freedom
WHO ARE THE CUBAN 5?
The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who are in U.S. prison, serving four
life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being wrongly convicted
in U.S. federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001. The Five were falsely
accused by the U.S. government of committing “espionage conspiracy”
against the United States, and other related charges. Yet, the Five had no
government documents.
The Five pointed out vigorously in their defense that they were
involved in monitoring the actions of Miami-based, right-wing terrorist groups,
in order to prevent terrorist attacks on their country of Cuba. The Five’s
actions were never directed at the U.S. government. They never
harmed anyone nor ever possessed nor used any weapons while in the
US. September 12 will be the ninth anniversary of the “Cuban Five’s” arrest.
For more background on the Cuban Five: www.freethefive.org
The new coalition includes members from various Latin American solidarity organizations, peace groups, women’s organizations, human rights groups, and labor organizations.
Comments from coalition members:
Banbose Shango, of the Venezuela Solidarity Network, said that,
“Miami-based terrorist groups have been attacking Cuba for over
40 years. With the US’ refusal to investigate these groups, Cuba
found it necessary to send the five Cuban men to the US to monitor
these terrorist activities in an effort to protect the Cuban people.”
Joan Drake, DC Branch of the Women’s International
League for Peace and Freedom, described the US’ refusal to
issue visas so that two wives of the Cuban Five can visit their
husbands in the US as “the Bush administration’s total disregard of
international humanitarian law and the concept of family
values.”
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