Printed below is an excerpt of a letter to the editors of Perspectiva Mundial and the Militant from Antonio Guerrero, one of the five Cuban revolutionaries framed up and convicted last June in a federal court in the United States on a series of conspiracy charges. These included conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign power, to commit espionage, and in one case, to commit murder. The other four prisoners are René González, Fernando González, Ramón Labañino, and Gerardo Hernández.

The five were given draconian sentences from the federal judge ranging from 15 years in prison to a double life sentence. Along with the Cuban government, the five explained they were carrying out a revolutionary mission to defend their country by gathering information on the activities of counterrevolutionary groups that operate on U.S. territory to launch violent attacks on Cuba. These groups have a long record of such activity and do so with complete knowledge and complicity of the U.S. government.

The addresses for the five are listed below. The U.S. government refused to recognize the names of Fernando González Llort and Ramón Labañino, so correspondence to them should be sent under the names Rubén Campa and Luis Medina respectively.

Florence, Colorado 81226

April 8, 2002

Dear Comrades,

For several months, week after week, I have received a number of letters that bring me the soft and pure light of a binding friendship, a light that inside these walls makes a tree grow, sprouts its flowers and germinates its fruit; the most beautiful tree in all the world: the tree of friendship, justice, and peace.

Friends, with great valor you help the just cause of the Cuban people and, within that honorable stance, demand our liberty. Day after day I wonder how to express thanks for so gallant and humane a gesture, and with what words to express what is for me an immense source of encouragement and an inseparable part of my thoughts and deeds.

José Martí wrote in his book The Golden Age, dedicated to children: "In the world a certain amount of decency is necessary, just like a certain amount of light. If there are many men without this quality, there are those who have it in quantities sufficient for many men." I think and feel that you have within you the decency needed to defend and advance a just cause, "with the humble, through the humble, and for the humble." You have my greatest admiration. Because people like you exist, I am convinced that the future is one of justice, solidarity, and peace.

The articles in the Militant weekly and the magazine Perspectiva Mundial were of great interest to me. Both publications are voices of the truth in the midst of so many voices that today are dedicated to manipulating the news and turning many people into simple puppets of their rapacious interests. But, once more paraphrasing the apostle, I say that "the platform of truth will always stand when other platforms fall." You are bulwarks of that platform. Thanks for adding us as subscribers; I hope there is no difficulty in our receiving any of the publications that you send us.

Perhaps you know that in the past the José Martí publishing house published a book with a selection of poems that I wrote during my imprisonment in the Federal Detention Center in Miami. I wanted to send you those poems and have asked my inseparable Maggie [Becker] to see to it. I don’t know if she has a book available, but perhaps she can do it by e-mail. We have been working on an expanded edition with the same title: From My Altitude (Desde mi altura) and perhaps it will be this that she sends you. I hope the poems interest you and help us to know each other and reinforce our friendship.

On my behalf, and on behalf of my brothers René, Ramón, Fernando, and Gerardo, who share my sentiments, a strong embrace.

A friend,

Antonio Guerrero
 

René González Sehweret, Reg. #58738-004, FCI McKean, P.O. Box 8000, Bradford, Pennsylvania 16701

Antonio Guerrero Rodríguez, Reg. #58741-004, USP Florence, P.O. Box 7500, Florence, Colorado 81226

Gerardo Hernández Nordelo (Manuel Viramontes), Reg. #58739-004, USP Lompoc, 3901 Klein Blvd., Lompoc, California 93436

Fernando González Llort (Rubén Campa), Reg. #58733-004, FCI Oxford, P.O. Box 1000, Oxford, Wisconsin 53952-0505

Ramón Labañino Salazar (Luis Medina), Reg. #58734-004, USP Beaumont, P.O. Box 26035, Beaumont, Texas 77720-6035
 

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