Six years since the last of the Cuban Five political prisoners were released; Gerardo Hernández elected to Cuba's Council of State

The Cuban Five - Gerardo Hernández, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero, René González, and Ramón Labañino

The last three of the Cuban Five political prisoners, imprisoned by the USA after monitoring US-based terrorist groups, were released December 17, 2014.  Among them was Gerardo Hernández, who was elected to Cuba's Council of State and is the national coordinator of Cuba's Committees in Defense of the Revolution.  He was once mentioned by the BBC as a likely candidate for a high position in the Cuban state.  Improving relations with Cuba was a positive foreign policy of the Obama-Biden administration, as was negotiating with Iran, though overthrowing the Cuban Revolution and again dominating Cuba politically and economically was and is the US objective.  Restoring normal diplomatic relations and trade with Cuba would probably be economically beneficial for North Carolina and the US as a whole.  Below is an email sent out yesterday by the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee (formerly the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, www.freethefive.org/ , which organized demonstrations, prison solidarity with the Five, forums, carried out legal research, etc.), www.cuba-venezuela.org/index.php/en/ :

Gerardo Hernández elected to Cuba's Council of State

Six years to the day after Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero and Ramon Labañino joined their previously released comrades Fernando González and René González in returning home to Cuba, Gerardo was elected to the prestigious Cuban Council of State. It is a post of great honor and great responsibility, for which Gerardo is both fully deserving and fully capable. Even before conducting their dangerous mission in the United States, preventing acts of terrorism against Cuba, the Cuban Five Heroes dedicated their lives to serving and defending the people of Cuba and the Cuban Revolution. Gerardo was also recently named the national coordinator of the Committees in Defense of the Revolution, a critical task in the face of the ever-escalating U.S. aggression against Cuba.

Recalling the work of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five

The predecessor of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, was formed just days after the unjust conviction of the Cuban Five on June 8, 2001. We worked tirelessly from that day until the day all five returned to Cuba on December 17, 2014, fulfilling the promise made by Fidel Castro — Volveran!

A complete timeline of the key events during that period can be found on our old website, which is still accessible. The website also contains invaluable resources in studying the history of the struggle to free the Five, including legal documents, audio and video files, and lots more. You can see the first national march on Washington for the Five, held on Sept. 23, 2006, the unveiling of billboards for the Five in Los Angeles and San Francisco, speakers at many antiwar marches spreading the word about the case of the Five, and lots more.

Here's one of the many speeches on the site, with committee coordinator Gloria La Riva speaking at a march for political prisoners held at the Democratic Convention in Denver in August, 2008 (please excuse the lower resolution; technology has advanced since 2008!).

March on Washington to free the Cuban Five, September 23, 2006.

17 de diciembre de 2020: sexto aniversario del regreso de los Cinco Héroes cubanos

Hoy, seis años después del día en que Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero y Ramón Labañino se unieron a sus compañeros previamente liberados Fernando González y René González al regresar a Cuba, Gerardo fue elegido miembro del prestigioso Consejo de Estado de Cuba. Es un cargo de gran honor y gran responsabilidad, del que Gerardo es plenamente merecedor y plenamente capaz. Incluso antes de realizar su peligrosa misión en los Estados Unidos, previniendo actos de terrorismo contra Cuba, los Cinco Héroes cubanos dedicaron su vida a servir y defender al pueblo de Cuba y la Revolución Cubana. Gerardo también fue nombrado recientemente coordinador nacional de los Comités de Defensa de la Revolución, una tarea crítica ante la creciente agresión de Estados Unidos contra Cuba.

Recordando el labor del Comité por la Libertad de los Cinco Cubanos

El antecesor del Comité de Solidaridad Cuba y Venezuela, el Comité Nacional por la Libertad de los Cinco Cubanos, se formó pocos días después de la injusta condena de los Cinco Cubanos el 8 de junio de 2001. Trabajamos incansablemente a partir de ese día hasta el día en que los Cinco regresaron a Cuba el 17 de diciembre de 2014, cumpliendo la promesa hecha por Fidel Castro - ¡Volverán!

Se puede encontrar una cronología completa de los eventos clave durante ese período en nuestro antiguo sitio web, que aún está disponible. El sitio web también contiene recursos invaluables para estudiar la historia de la lucha por liberar a los Cinco, incluso documentos legales, archivos de audio y video, y mucho más. Puede ver la primera marcha nacional en Washington para los Cinco, celebrada el 23 de septiembre de 2006, la inauguración de vallas publicitarias para los Cinco en Los Ángeles y San Francisco, oradores en muchas marchas contra la guerra que difunden la noticia sobre el caso de los Cinco, y mucho mas.

Este es uno de los muchos discursos en el sitio, con la coordinadora del comité Gloria La Riva hablando en una marcha por los presos políticos celebrada frente a la Convención Demócrata en Denver en agosto de 2008 (disculpe la resolución más baja; ¡la tecnología ha avanzado desde 2008!).