Nov. 21, 2009

To all women and men in the world, justice lovers,
To the people of the United States,

Five courageous Cubans: Gerardo, Ramón, Antonio, Fernando and René have been unfairly imprisoned in US jails for more than eleven years; their only crime has been to fight against terrorism and to defend their people’s right to live in peace.

While fighting against terrorism, and defending the fairest causes of humane dignity and liberty, these Five Heroes harbor their entire people’s decorum, as well as that of the progressive humanity at large.

As a result of the delayed and politicized process, the most outrageous physical and mental tortures have been committed against them and their relatives. This is a flagrant violation of the most basic principles of international law, of the established procedures with regards to due process, and of the regulations on the treatment to detained persons.

The United States government maintains a double standard in its policy to fight against terrorism; harbors, protects and supports US-based terrorist organizations that operate with impunity, causing victims not only among the Cuban people, but also in other countries.

Bearing in mind the above-mentioned statement:

The participants in the 5th International Colloquium “For the release of the Five Heroes and against terrorism”, social fighters, trade unionists, parliament members, pacifists, party leaders, intellectuals and religious leaders, have agreed to issue the following Declaration:

1. We demand the United States government:

- To respect its own laws and act in accordance with the rules of International Law.
- To IMMEDIATELY cease the systematic and repeated violations of human rights against the Cuban Five and their relatives, particularly the violation of the right to be visited by their wives Olga Salanueva and Adriana Pérez. And reclaim the granting of visas to both of them.
- To put an end to the logistic and financial support provided to terrorist organizations based in that country, and to bring the notorious terrorist Luis Posada Carriles to justice for the blowing up of a Cuban airliner in which 73 civilians were killed.

2. We demand President Barack Obama and the Government of the United States of America to free RIGHT AWAY the Cuban Five because they are innocent.
3. We call upon all honest people in our planet, and especially the noble US people, to work intensely to disseminate the just cause for the Cuban Five are fighting and to demand their liberation as a way of paying tribute to decency and truth.
4. We ratify to the Cuban Five and to everyone fighting for their freedom that we will not stop denouncing this injustice, and that we will continue to fight until they return to their homeland.

Participants in the 5th International Colloquium
“For the release of the Five Heroes and against terrorism”
Holguín, November 21st, 2009