Miami Conference for the Five Patriots

["Jose G. Perez" <jgperez@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Militant
Vol.65/No.33
August 27, 2001

Miami conference to defend five Cubans jailed by Washington

BY CINDY JAQUITH

MIAMI--The Miami Coalition to End the Embargo of Cuba is calling for a
September 22 conference here to defend the five Cubans who were convicted in
June of "espionage" and to deepen opposition to Washington's aggressive
policy against Cuba.

"These convictions are a travesty of justice and a blow to democratic rights
in the United States of America," states the coalition in its most recent
mailing.

In the course of the trial, the five men's defense was that they were
working to expose the terrorist actions against Cuba organized by
counterrevolutionary groups based in Miami. These groups have acted with the
complicity of the U.S. government.

Three of the Cuban citizens were convicted of "conspiracy to commit
espionage" and "conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent." They
could get a life imprisonment. The other two were convicted of "conspiracy
to act as an unregistered foreign agent" and face possible 10-year
sentences.

One of the five, Gerardo Hernández, was also convicted of "conspiracy to
commit murder" in the case of two planes that were downed by the Cuban air
force in 1997 when they invaded Cuban airspace and did not leave when warned
repeatedly. Four members of Brothers to the Rescue died in the shoot down.
Brothers to the Rescue is a counterrevolutionary organization that supports
Washington's war against Cuba and has made numerous provocative flights over
the island. The prosecution based its case on the assertion that Hernández
had given the Cuban government flight information about the rightist
operation.

In violation of Fourth Amendment protection against arbitrary search and
seizure, over a three-year period prior to the arrests, FBI agents broke
into the homes of the defendants repeatedly, searching their belongings and
computers. The prosecution's evidence consisted of information the federal
cop agency claims it collected from encoded messages copied from the
defendants' computer hard drives and alleged short-wave broadcasts between
Cuba and the defendants.

Attack on Cuba and on rights at home

"We believe the FBI and its higher-ups in Washington have used this case to
further the U.S. government's unrelenting 'Cold War' against Cuba," the
coalition said in its letter. "One of their goals has been to attempt
another political frame-up and smear of Cuba." This frame-up campaign has
been carried out in the big-business media, which virtually convicted the
five of spying before the trial began.

The letter adds, "the government's prosecution and convictions serve to
remind us all that assaults on Cuba--which continues to offer an example to
those fighting to end injustice, oppression, and exploitation around the
world--go hand in hand with efforts to undermine workers' rights.

"The trial and the media show around it tried to create an atmosphere where
those who oppose Washington's economic war on Cuba, or stand up to other
government policies, are at best intimidated and at worst branded as spies
and are subject to extended incarceration. Now the top FBI agent in Miami,
Héctor Pesquera, is threatening further 'investigation' of supposed spies
for Cuba in the United States."

The statement by the Miami Coalition to End the Embargo of Cuba concludes,
"We call on those involved in struggles for justice against police
brutality, for defending the Charleston dockworkers framed-up by the police
while safeguarding their picket lines, for ending all racist or sexist
discrimination--and everyone who stands in defense of democratic rights--to
demand justice for the five convicted in Miami and a halt to Washington's
witch-hunt against 'Cuban spies.' Join us in a September 22 conference to
discuss these issues and collaborate on advancing common goals."

In the latest development in this case, the five Cubans, who are awaiting
sentencing and are locked up in a U.S. prison here, requested the right to
meet with representatives of their government. The U.S. Attorney's office
initially said three of them could meet with Cuban officials, but that the
two born in the United States could not, even though they maintained Cuban
citizenship. On August 1, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons approved visits by
Cuban officials to all five men.