Vol. 81/No. 24 June 19, 2017
US workers, Cuban 5 faced US ‘justice system’ together
The book is a translation of the Pathfinder Press book of the same title, which centers on interviews with five Cuban revolutionaries who spent up to 16 years as part of the working class in U.S. jails on frame-up charges. They were working to protect the Cuban people against terrorist attacks launched with impunity from U.S. soil by Cuban enemies of the revolution. The Greek translation was released by publishing house Diethnes Vima in collaboration with the José Martí Cultural Association.
Hasdiris Quintana, first secretary of the Venezuelan Embassy here, welcomed the 60 participants to the event, which was held in the embassy’s cultural center. “The Cuban Five represent the determination of the Cuban people,” Quintana said. “The people of Venezuela are today going through very difficult stages, but we will follow the example of the Cuban Five and fight for our independence and our dignity.”
Zelmys María Domínguez Cortina, Cuban ambassador to Greece, read messages sent to the meeting by Fernando González and Gerardo Hernández, two of the Cuban Five.
Both Hernández and González pointed to the importance of international solidarity in the successful fight to win their freedom. Hernández appealed to participants to continue fighting to demand an end to the U.S. embargo of Cuba and its occupation of Guantánamo.
“Continue supporting the Cuban revolutionary process,” said Gónzalez, who is now president of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP). He also called on participants to stand with the Venezuelan people in the face of attacks by pro-imperialist forces there.
“We learn in this book that 95 percent of prisoners in the U.S. don’t even see their day in court as they are forced to plea bargain,” said Yannis Tsalavoutas of the José Martí Cultural Association. Tsalavoutas said he learned a lot as one of the five volunteers who translated the book. “I learned that the U.S. prison system aims to crush the masses. But I also learned that the Cuban Five left the heritage of struggle of Cuban revolutionaries José Martí, Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara within the U.S. working class behind bars.”
Bobbis Misailides spoke on behalf of Diethnes Vima. “Seven million people in the U.S. are either in jail or on parole,” he said. “But the situation described in this book does not just apply to the U.S. Here in Greece there are 70,000 people in jail, under inhuman conditions.”
Takis Vamvakidis, an actor and a leader of Hasta La Victoria Siempre, a group of artists and soccer players in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution, read excerpts from the book.
Nikos Karandreas, president of the Greek Cuban Friendship Association, closed the meeting. Many people in Greece supported the fight to free the Cuban Five, he said, because of the “tens of thousands who have been political prisoners or in exile” during the years of the military dictatorship in Greece.”
Participants picked up 31 copies of the new book, as well as eight other titles on the Cuban Revolution.
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