Protest at US mission for ‘Cuban Five’

A GROUP of Namibians and Cubans gathered in the city centre yesterday to protest the imprisonment of five Cuban men on charges of illegal activities towards the United States of America.

Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labanino, Rene Gonzalez, Fernando Gonzalez and Gerardo Hernandez, or as they are more commonly known, the Cuban Five, were arrested in 1998 and convicted on 26 different counts of illegal activities, including espionage, conspiracy to commit murder and false identification. They were collectively sentenced to four life terms and 75 years in prison.The five men were Cuban intelligence officers, sent by their government to infiltrate US-based anti-Cuban organisations which the Cuban government blames for the deaths of more than 3 400 Cuban citizens.Members of the Namibia-Cuba Friendship Association, and the Namibia Committee to Free the Cuban Five, gathered at the Kudu Statue on Independence Avenue and marched to the American embassy at Ausspannplatz. Armed with Cuban and Namibian flags, and signs in both English and Spanish, the protesters were given a police escort to the embassy, chanting, ‘Obama, free the Cuban Five!’ and, ‘yes, we can!’ – the American president’s now-famous slogan.Upon arrival at the embassy, a letter of protest was read out by the event’s Deputy Co-ordinator, Nixon Marcus.’Throughout the struggle for Namibia’s independence, people throughout the world recognised the justness of the Namibian cause and campaigned for the freedom of Namibian political prisoners who were unjustly imprisoned by apartheid South Africa. In the same tradition, it is our moral and historic duty to demand the freedom of these courageous five anti-terrorist activists. We demand an end to their cruel and unjust incarceration and their immediate release to freedom.’The letter, addressed to President Barack Obama, was accepted by a representative of the United States Embassy, who would only divulge her first name, Emily. She declined to make any further comments to the protesters.The protesters were unfazed by the lack of response from the embassy, and were positive that their voices would be heard.’We will march until the Cuban Five are freed,’ said one protester.The decision to convict the Cuban Five, and subsequent refusals by the US Government to allow a retrial have been criticised by human rights organisations and governments around the world.ndapwa@namibian.com.na