On December 5th, 2014 the Free the Cuban 5
Committee - Vancouver was gathered in front
of the US Consulate in Vancouver for the 109th
consecutive monthly protest for freedom for ALL
of the Cuban 5. For over 9 years, the consecutive
monthly protests in Vancouver ended in much
the same way, with an announcement. The
announcement stated that, although we hoped
not to have to return, if the any of the Cuban
5 remained behind US prison bars, the Free the
Cuban 5 Committee - Vancouver would once
again be protesting at the US Consulate the next
month. The same announcement was made
on December 5th, and a leaflets posters were
handed out for the 110th monthly protest
in Vancouver for the Cuban 5 Heroes, to be
held on January 5, 2015.
Only 12 days later, on December 17, 2014,
in a historic victory for human rights, ALL
the Cuban 5 returned home to Cuba! They
has spent over 16 years held unjustly in
U.S. prisons for defending Cuba against
U.S.-backed terrorism in their country. A
tremendous shout of joy was heard around
the world as supporters of the Cuban 5
gathered to celebrate. The Free the Cuban 5
Committee - Vancouver also celebrated that day
with two events, including returning to the US
Consulate for the 110th, and final, time for the
Cuban 5.
Over the next 2 weeks, celebrations continued,
as the significance of the historic return of the
Cuban 5 Heroes began to sink in and to begin to
reflect on the lessons learned during the historic
campaign for their freedom. On January 5, 2015,
the Free the Cuban 5 Committee - Vancouver
held the last "5th of the month for the Cuban
5," this time not the protest that had been
originally scheduled, but a cultural celebration of
the freedom of ALL the Cuban 5 heroes! Songs,
greetings, reflections, videos and poetry filled
the evening as over 100 people came out on a
rainy Vancouver night dedicated to the return of
Gerardo, Ramon, Antonio, Fernando and Rene to
Cuba.
The evening began with a powerful start, a
welcoming and song by Coast-Salish indigenous
elder Kelly White, who has long been a supporter
of the Cuban 5 Heroes and a leader in the fight
for social justice and human rights. Next was
former Vancouver City Councillor and lawyer,
Tim Louis. Tim reminded everyone that the
victory of the return of the Cuban 5 was not
the result of the US Government benevolently
granting freedom to the Cuban 5, but the result
of an internationally coordinated campaign.
Following Tim, the audience heard greetings of
support to supporters of the Cuban 5in Vancouver
from His Excellency, the Cuban Ambassador to
Canada, Julio Garmendia Pena.
Next in the program were messages from two
supporters of the Cuban 5 from the other side
of Canada. The first was Don Foreman, Central
region organizer with the Canadian Union of
Postal Workers, joined the meeting live over the
phone from Ottawa, Canada. On December
5th, 2014, supporters of the Cuban 5 in Ottawa
marked 1-year of consecutive monthly protests
for the Cuban 5, inspired by consecutive monthly
protests in Vancouver. During his greeting, Don
also gave special recognition to a long-time
organizer with the Free the Cuban 5 committee
Vancouver, Nestor Otero. He said “Nestor stand
up, that's what solidarity looks like, he is an
inspiration for everybody,” in recognition of the
fact that Nestor was present at and incredible
105 of the 110 actions for the Cuban 5 held in
Vancouver!
Following Don, a video greeting was played from
Canadian journalist and author Stephen Kimber.
In 2013, Stephen wrote an important book on the
Cuban 5, “What Lies Across the Water, the Real
Story of the Cuban 5.” This book quickly became
an invaluable tool for the campaign to Free the
Cuban 5, helping to reach many more people
across the world.
The program continued with a slideshow of photos
representing the over 9 years of organizing by the
Free the Cuban 5 Committee - Vancouver. Tamara
Hansen, Coordinator of Vancouver Communities
in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) and Azza Rojbi,
Executive Committee member of the Free the
Cuban 5 Committee - Vancouver led everyone
though the weekly and monthly consistent work
of the past nine years of the campaign to free the
Cuban 5. The slideshow went from the very first
picket action at the US Consulate in December of
2005 through continued monthly pickets, forums,
vigils, petitioning, poetry nights, cultural events,
bike rides, speaking tours and other activities. The
photos spanned not only time, but also over many
different parts of the world showing the many
times that members of the Free the Cuban 5
Committee – Vancouver travelled to support and
help organize actions for Freedom of the Cuban
5, especially in the United States.
To reflect this depth of the International
movement to Free the Cuban 5 Heroes, and the
critical role of international coordination in the
campaign for freedom of the Cuban 5, throughout
the evening there were also special International
greetings from four continents. This included a
live phone call from Carolina Escarrá, the head
of the North America section of the Foreign
Relations department of the Youth of the United
Socialist Party of Venezuela (Juventud del Partido
Socialista Unida de Venezuela-JPSUV), as well
as greetings from Manuel López Rodríguez,
Coordinator of the National Ukrainian
Committee "For the Freedom of the 5 Cuban
Heroes," Elizabeth Hulm, for the Australia Cuba
Friendship Society - Perth, and Haleem Khan,
President of Guyana Cuba Solidarity Movement.
Gloria La Riva, Coordinator of the National
Committee to Free the Cuban 5 also joined
the celebration in a videoconference. She spoke
from San Francisco, U.S. about the significance
of the victory of the Freedom of the Cuban 5,
and the importance of the support that the U.S.
committees received from International groups
during the victorious campaign.
During the celebration there was also an
open mic which brought up leading
community organizers and supporters
of the Cuban 5 in Vancouver. Thomas
Davies, founding member of the Free the
Cuban 5 Committee -Vancouver, reflected
on the past 9 years of organizing and the
growth and expansion of the campaign
for freedom for ALL the Cuban 5. Also
speaking was Nino Pagliccia, author of
the new book, Cuba Solidarity in Canada
Five Decades of People-to-People Foreign
Relations. This book includes a chapter on
the Cuban 5 campaign in Canada written
by leading Vancouver Cuba solidarity
organizers Tamara Hansen and Ali Yerevani.
As well, the dynamic open mic section included
Colleen Glynn, the Secretary of Vancouver
Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC)
and President of the Richmond NDP; poetry
from Sarah Alwell, member of the Executive
Committee of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-
Vancouver; Wilson Muñoz, leader of the Latin
American Community; Michael O'Neill, of the
Canada Cuba Friendship Association (CCFA);
and Elizabeth Hill, Co-chair of the Canadian
Network on Cuba (CNC), who was visiting from
Toronto.
Even as the Vancouver celebration for freedom of
ALL the Cuban 5 came to a close, the full room
remained bright with a feeling of solidarity and
joy. After this evening of speakers, videos, music
and poetry from around the world there could be
no doubt that the return of all of the Cuban 5 to
Cuba is an enormous historic victory! A victory
not only for the Cuban people but also a great
victory for human rights and for people around
the world who have united with Cuban people to
organize and win their freedom!
The international movement that united
and organized for the Cuban 5 now has the
responsibility to carry forward this historic victory
for human rights; to take the time to reflect and
learn from the many lessons of this campaign. We
have now shown that united we can, and will win!
VICTORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS!
FREEDOM OF THE CUBAN 5!
¡VOLVIERON!
THEY HAVE RETURNED!
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