Thursday, September 11, 2008
Prominent Americans send letter to George W. Bush regarding the ‘Cuban Five’
President George W. Bush, The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Cc: Scheduling Office, 20502-0184
Mr. President,
September 12 marks the 10th anniversary of the unjust imprisonment of five men in the United States. The "Cuban Five" - Antonio Guerrero, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, René González, and Fernando González - risked their lives to come to the United States to do what your Administration claims as its highest priority - fight terrorism. In their case, it was terrorism against Cuba, terrorism originating in this country that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Cubans and others, including American citizens, over the past fifty years.
The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, in conjunction with more than 300 such committees worldwide, has collected more than 100,000 signatures from Americans and people around the world, demanding the immediate freedom of these five men and an end to their unjust imprisonment. They also demand the immediate granting of visas to Olga Salanueva Arango, wife of Rene Gonzalez, and Adriana Perez O'Connor, wife of Gerardo Hernandez, who have been denied permission by the U.S. government to visit their husbands in prison for 8 and 10 years, respectively, in an outrageous violation of both their legal and human rights.
With this letter, we request a meeting with you or your representatives on Friday, September 12, 2008, to present you with these petitions, and to give voice to the just demands of people around the world for freedom for the Cuban Five.
Signed,
Alice Walker, author
Howard Zinn, professor
Noam Chomsky, professor, author
Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general
Martin Sheen, actor, social justice activist
Heidi Boghosian, executive director, National Lawyers Guild
Gloria La Riva, coordinator, National Committee to Free the Cuban Five
Brian Becker, National Coordinator A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism)
Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, co-founder, Partnership for Civil Justice
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