Make June Class-War Prisoners Freedom Month-Free The Cuban Five

Markin comment (reposted from 2010)

In “surfing” the National Jericho Movement Website recently in order to find out more, if possible, about class- war prisoner and 1960s radical, Marilyn Buck, whom I had read about in a The Rag Blog post I linked to the Jericho list of class war prisoners. I found Marilyn Buck listed there but also others, some of whose cases, like that of the “voice of the voiceless” Pennsylvania death row prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal, are well-known and others who seemingly have languished in obscurity. All of the cases, at least from the information that I could glean from the site, seemed compelling. And all seemed worthy of far more publicity and of a more public fight for their freedom.

That last notion set me to the task at hand. Readers of this space know that I am a long time supporter of the Partisan Defense Committee, a class struggle, non-sectarian legal and social defense organization which supports class war prisoners as part of the process of advancing the international working class’ struggle for socialism. In that spirit I am honoring the class war prisoners on the National Jericho Movement list this June as the start of what I hope will be an on-going attempt by all serious leftist militants to do their duty- fighting for freedom for these brothers and sisters. We will fight out our political differences and disagreements as a separate matter. What matters here and now is the old Wobblie (IWW) slogan - An injury to one is an injury to all.

Note: This list, right now, is composed of class-war prisoners held in American detention. If others are likewise incarcerated that are not listed here feel free to leave information on their cases in the comment section. Likewise any cases, internationally, that come to your attention. I am sure there are many, many such cases out there. Make this June, and every June, a Class-War Prisoners Freedom Month- Free All Class-War Prisoners Now!

******
Release of René González Boosts Cuban Antiterrorists' Struggle

May 13, 2013
Reprinted from Prensa Latina

Gloria La Riva

Havana, May 13 (Prensa Latina) The release of Rene Gonzalez is a tremendous source of joy and impetus in the struggle for the definitive return to the homeland of the Cuban antiterrorist fighters still held in the United States, an U.S. activist said today.
Gloria La Riva, coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Five in the United States, said in statements to Prensa Latina via email that she imagines how the Cuban people feel "to see his brother at home."

She stated that in the current situation, the solidarity movement, particularly in her country, should press even more the government of President Barack Obama to achieve a solution of the case.

La Riva recalled that next September 12 will marks 15 years since Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez, and Rene Gonzalez, internationally known as The Five, were detained in the city of Miami.

She stressed that more news coverage than normal has been in that nation with the freedom Rene is now enjoying, not only because it is news, but also because he is free to express what he never had in prison or in the limited supervised release.

I personally feel a great emotion after hearing the public affirmation of Rene Gonzalez that he and his colleagues are "The Five and will always be The Five."

Rene's smile in all photos, the love between him and Olga (Salanueva, his wife) gives us much encouragement, La Riva said.

She stated that some members of her Committee will travel to Washington from May 30 to June 5 "for the important week of activities for The Five."

In addition, "we continue organizing events for this summer and the 15th anniversary (of the detention of the antiterrorist fighters), even several forums at universities and law schools of the country."

La Riva also announced that June 7 in New York, the great Left Forum, where thousands of people participate in forums and workshops about progressive struggles and issues of justice, will feature a panel of U.S. and Canadian writers to demand the release of the four still imprisoned antiterrorist fighters.

The activist, a member of the anti-war ANSWER coalition, stated that "Rene surpassed the unjust revenge of the U.S. government and won. He returned with his head held high. He fulfilled every day of his injust sentence and held firm."

On May 3, District Judge Joan Lenard Florida accepted to modify the terms of Gonzalez' supervised release, which he was serving in the United States since his release from prison on October 7, 2011.

The judge agreed that he remains in Cuba in exchange for his renunciation of U.S. citizenship. Gonzalez was born on August 13, 1956 in the city of Chicago.

After necessary formalities, the authorities of that country will spread to Rene Gonzalez on May 9 the certificate supporting the loss of that nationality. He is just a Cuban patriot, as he publicly expressed.

The Five monitored plans by Cuban-origin violent groups and individuals based in the south of Florida, and with impunity have executed terrorist attacks against the Cuban people.