VENICE, California—Some 75 people turned out June 4 for “Humor From My Pen,” an exhibit of political cartoons by Gerardo Hernández—one of the Cuban Five political prisoners in the United States—that debuted here at the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC). “Cuba sure hurts,” reads the caption above the cartoon of Uncle Sam with a Cuba-shaped bone in his throat.

Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, and René González are Cuban revolutionaries who were framed up and railroaded to prison by the U.S. government. When they were arrested by the FBI in 1998, they had been monitoring the activities of U.S.-backed paramilitary groups in South Florida with a long history of violent actions and sabotage against Cuba

Hernández is serving a double-life plus 15-year sentence on charges of “conspiracy to commit espionage” and “conspiracy to commit murder.” The latter is based on the government’s wild accusation that Hernández bears responsibility for the Cuban military’s shootdown in 1996 of two hostile aircraft—flown by the counterrevolutionary outfit Brothers to the Rescue—that invaded Cuban airspace. The other four have sentences ranging from 15 years to 30 years. Réne González is scheduled to be released in October.

The well-attended event was publicized on the “¡SiCuba! SoCal” website, which is promoting a several-month celebration of Cuban art and culture in Los Angeles. If your are interested in bringing the cartoon exhibit to your city write to info@thecuban5.org.

—ARLENE RUBINSTEIN