Another Try for Justice for The 5 By: Mumia Abu-Jamal 2007-09-14 | 18:50:29 EST
For five Cuban men held in US gulags, there is at least a chance at justice as they try to reverse what happened in 2001, when they were convicted of spying, conspiracy and unregistered foreign agent charges. The men, known as the Cuban 5 in the US, and simply Los Cinco back in their homeland, came to the US, not to hurt Americans, or to engage in acts of terror. They came because Miami was the site of a fevered campaign of attacks on Cuban tourist sites, and thus, they came to protect their country from aggression planned, armed, and propelled from these shores. In the eyes of the US government, however, they are now part of the so-called "war on terror", and at their original trial, the prosecutor argued that they were "bent on the destruction of America." Such an argument would be dangerous anywhere, but in Miami, where the original trial took place, it was virtually lethal. For Miami is the core of an anti-Castro community, that breathes enmity for the revolutionary government in Havana. A trial in such an atmosphere, where Cuban-Americans wield economic and political power, is the very antithesis of a fair trial before one's peers, and could only have one result. The men moved for a change of venue, but the trial court denied the motion. Of the 5 men, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino and Antonio Guerrero, are facing life sentences. Two others, René Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez, face 15 and 19 years bits, respectively. To call them "terrorists" is to misuse the term, for, if anything, they are anti-terrorists, - for they tried to find ways to halt attacks on their homeland, Cuba. In an interview with the BBC in July, Hernandez explained why he and the others came to the US: "They are people that have got training camps there and paramilitary organisations and they go to Cuba and commit sabotage, bombs and all kinds of aggressions." The case of the Cuban 5 is one in stark contrast to the legal proceedings around 79-year old Luis Posada Carriles, who was released from US jails, despite the fact that he is wanted in Venezuela and Cuba for his role in hotel bombings and even airline bombings from the 1970's to the 90's. To the US, this gay who did his deeds at the behest of the CIA isn't even a criminal, he's not a terrorist! Bombings hotels and airplanes is apparently acceptable, if the US government doesn't like the people on the planes. The struggle for the Cuban 5 is growing into an international movement. http://www.juventudrebelde.co.cu/columnists/2007-09-14/another-try-for-justice-for-the-5/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
