In this era, where terror is a prominent tool of imperialist powers, and where independence is intolerable to them, five Cubans stand in prisons across the US as heroes of all working and oppressed people in the world. After decades of terror against the Cuban people instigated by terrorist groups harbored by the United States and its agencies like the CIA, the Cuban government decided it had to act. Between 1994 and 1995, Cuba sent five unarmed men, Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramone Labanino, Rene Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez on a mission to infiltrate and expose Miami-based terrorist groups such as Alpha 66, Omega 7, Brothers to the Rescue and Cuba America National Foundation, the financial backbone of all anti-Cuban terrorist groups. These groups are responsible for hundreds of terrorist attacks, which have taken the lives of thousands of Cubans.

The list of atrocities committed by these groups is long. They include the bombing of hotels in Cuba, assassinations, the spreading of disease, sabotage and attacks against Cuba supporters in the US such as the bombing of the Lincoln Center in 1978 after a Cuban ballet. One of the most horrendous attacks was the bombing of a Cuban airliner, which took the lives of 73 people in 1976. The Cuban 5 were valiantly struggling against this terror, putting themselves and their loved ones in mortal danger throughout the process.

In 1998, after having gathered sufficient evidence to expose the terrorists, Cuba released all the information that the Cuban 5 had gathered to the FBI. Immediately following this, the Cuban 5 were arrested and put in solitary confinement for 17 months. It was not until 2001 that these men were convicted. After a seven-month show trial (one of the longest in American history), the Cuban 5 were sentenced to between 15 years and double life, each in a separate maximum-security prison, barred from ever seeing their families.

Recently, a United Nations working group declared the detention of the Cuban 5 as arbitrary and against international law. The decision was made on the basis that the five were not granted access to all the evidence against them, that the trial was partial and that the legal process was in violation of treaties that the United States had signed. This is a tremendously important decision to the case of the Cuban 5 and will be invaluable in the coming appeals process.

Another important development is the publishing of a book on the case of the Cuban 5 in the United States. The book is called Superpower Principles: US Terrorism Against Cuba. At a time when all information on anti-Cuban terrorism is overtly suppressed by the international media, this book will play a pivotal role in informing people on the case of the Cuban 5. The book can be purchased at most major bookstores.

In Canada, it is our human duty to support the five Cuban heroes in US jails. On July 26th, the Vancouver chapter of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee joined with hundreds of people at the celebration of the beginning of the Cuban revolution organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba. At this event, the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver presented the Vancouver premiere of the documentary “Mission Against Terror,” a film exposing America’s terrorist war against Cuba through the case of the Cuban 5.

With over 2000 signatures collected by Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver demanding the immediate release of all five Cubans imprisoned in American jails, we call on all people concerned with justice and dignity to stand in solidarity with the Cuban 5 and sign the petition, which can found at www.vancubasolidarity.com, or to email cuban5_van@yahoo.com to join the campaign in Vancouver. NO TO US-SPONSORED TERRORISM AGAINST CUBA, FREE THE CUBAN 5!







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