González and his four comrades were held in solitary confinement for long periods following their imprisonment in 1998. Nearly seven months after their conviction in June, they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from the 15 years received by González to the two consecutive life terms imposed on Gerardo Hernández, who was convicted on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder. After the sentence was passed, the five were moved from the Miami Federal Detention Center to separate prisons in Colorado, California, Wisconsin, Texas, and Pennsylvania, where González is presently incarcerated. Born in the United States, González is a U.S. citizen.

Washington initially responded favorably to Salanueva’s application, going so far as to issue her a visa, said Alarcón. She planned to take the couple’s four-year-old daughter, who is a U.S. citizen, with her on the visit. On April 23, however, the decision was revoked.

Speaking to 300 conference delegates, Alarcón also reported that the appeal planned by the five revolutionaries against their imprisonment has been delayed by the refusal of the prosecution to turn over 150-200 key documents to lawyers for the defense. "The prosecution’s failure to turn over the documents constitutes a tactic to delay the appeal," stated an article in the May 12 Granma International reporting on Alarcón’s comments.
 
 
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