Cuban 5 send July 26 greetings

Alicia Jrapko and Bill Hackwell are activists from the US-
based National Committee to Free the Cuban Five. They recently 
visited one of the Cuban intelligence officers imprisoned in the 
US for the "crime" of infiltrating Miami-based organisations like 
Alpha 66, Omega 7, Brothers to the Rescue, and Cuban American 
National Foundation. These groups have a long record of 
organising terror campaigns in Cuba and against progressive 
Cubans in the US. Rather than being thanked for their efforts in 
combating terrorism by the US Administration, since 1998 the Five 
have been serving sentences from 15 years to two life sentences! 
An international campaign has grown up around demands for their 
immediate release. Alicia and Jack made the following report of 
their visit to Gerardo Hernandez:

On Friday July 16, once again, we had the honour of visiting 
Gerardo Hernandez in the maximum-security federal prison in 
Lompoc. As has been the case in previous visits we found Gerardo 
full of strength and optimism about the future of the struggle to 
free the five.

It is always remarkable to us that Gerardo enters the room with 
such positive energy. Despite the fact that we are the ones who 
have freedom of movement and association, he is the one who 
transmits the certainty that the struggle of the international 
solidarity movement and the support of the Cuban people will 
ultimately be victorious in the case of the Five. In our 
conversations with Gerardo this certainty is never in doubt.

Our six-hour visit always goes by as if it is just one full 
minute. We are always caught by surprise when the guards holler 
that visitation time is over.

At the end of the visit, Gerardo asked us to send a special 
message to the Cuban people on behalf of the Five Cuban heroes. 
The purpose of the message was to commemorate the 51st 
anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks. It was 
directed to his resilient and determined countrymen.

"To all of the Cuban People I send you a warm revolutionary 
embrace from Antonio, Rene, Fernando, Ramon and myself on one of 
our most important anniversaries, July 26.

"The attack on the Moncada 51 years ago was the opening salvo of 
the revolutionary process that survives and flourishes to this 
day. Perhaps at no other time has July 26 meant more to us.

"The tightening of the blockade by the recent new measures and 
the slanders that we, the Cuban people, have had to endure, only 
makes this date a time for us to renew our determination to 
remain free. I can say for myself and my four brothers that we 
have never been prouder to be Cuban than we are today.

"From these prison cells you should always know that when we see 
you standing up strong we are standing right along with you."

"Hasta La Victoria Siempre."