The Guardian 25 July, 2007
Pastors for Peace group visits Cuba
A group of 140 members of the 18th Pastors for Peace FriendShipment Caravan met last weekend with people from the Cuba’s central provinces and called for the release of the five Cuban anti-terrorist combatants unjustly imprisoned in the United States since 1998.
The solidarity delegation, made up of people from the United States, the UK, Germany, Canada and Mexico, paid tribute to Commander Ernesto Che Guevara, laying a wreath at the memorial that holds his remains and those of his comrades who fell in Bolivia.
In the name of the Caravanistas, Reverend Luis Barrios described Che as a prophet and an exceptional human being who learned to identify and denounce problems and to change the situation provoked by them.
During their stay in Villa Clara, members of the solidarity group participated in a service in the local Presbyterian Church and shared experiences with people resident in the San Vicente de Paúl hospice in this city.
In Cienfuegos, John Waller, the caravan coordinator, stressed that the attention given by Cuban society to health and education services is at the height of the developed countries, despite the US blockade of the island.
The group was accompanied by Caridad Diego, head of the Religious Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Party, and Reverend Raúl Suárez, a deputy in Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power.
The service in the Presbyterian Church of Sanctí Spíritus was dedicated to reconciliation and sisterhood and was led by Reverend Tom Smith, who gave greetings to the congregation on behalf of Lucius Walker, leader of the movement.
"We are US citizens in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution", the Caravanistas emphasised. "We are fighting against the blockade and in favor of the liberation of Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero, René González and Gerardo Hernández."
Granma