Latin Americans Demand End of US Blockade against Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 1 - Claudio Patat, national coordinator of the Argentinean contingent that is part of the 18th South American Solidarity-with-Cuba Brigade, condemned the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on the island. In his statements to the Prensa Latina news agency, he also denounced the unfair imprisonment in US jails of Fernando Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Gerardo Hernandez and Rene Gonzalez, condemned for informing on plans of violent actions against Cuba, conceived in Florida.

The member of the Argentinean Movement of Solidarity with the Caribbean nation asserted that they’re working with a lot of rigor in his country, especially in Buenos Aires.

Likewise, Venezuelans from various walks of life will send over the next few days dozens of postcards to President Barack Obama with requests for the release of the five Cuban antiterrorist heroes, according to information provided by activist Rosalinda Chanaga, coordinator of the Venezuela-Cuba Movement of Mutual Solidarity.

She told the Prensa Latina news agency that this group plans new actions to spread the truth abut the case of Gerardo, Rene, Antonio, Ramon and Fernando, and on the injustice being committed against them -unjustly incarcerated since 1998.

Some 300 committees are working in 111 nations to support the cause of these Cuban antiterrorists.

On this issue, the El Nacional newspaper, from the Dominican Republic, published that about 30 organizations of that country asked the United States to lift the unjust and inhuman blockade maintained by Washington against the island for almost half a century now.

The organizations, making up the Committee in Solidarity with Cuba, underlined that the States have the right to self-determination and that nobody –no matter how strong it feels- has the power to condemn them to any kind of blockade, reads a note published by the Cuba
Foreign Ministry’s Web site.

Also, Cubans living in Nicaragua held their 2nd National Meeting, in which they condemned the siege laid to the island by the US and demanded the immediate release of The Five. (acn)