11-19-06, 10:18 a.m.
An interview with Irma Gonzalez and Elisabeth Palmeiro (daughter and wife of Rene Gonzalez, a member of the Cuban Five unjustly imprisoned in the United States), by Adam Glass and Jeff Tomlinson for Rebel Youth Magazine.
Q. For our readers who don't know, can you tell us briefly about the case of the Cuban Five?
Irma: Briefly! It is difficult to explain it all, briefly! You know about how the Five went to Miami, where they were infiltrating various anti-Cuban terrorist groups based in Southern Florida. Instead of arresting the terrorists, the U.S. authorities arrested the Five in 1998, and they have been imprisoned ever since.
There have been many violations against their human rights - for example, holding them in cells without access to their families or lawyers. The trial was also held in Miami where they the Five could not get a fair trial because of the power and influence of the right-wing Cuban emigré groups based in that city. There is a lot more information on the website: http://www.freethefive.org.
We are going across Canada, talking about all these issues of injustice against the Cuban Five and asking for solidarity, asking for people to join our cause. We think it is very important that young people join this campaign.
Young people have a sense of justice - we believe young people are able to overcome the misconceptions that have flooded in about Cuba and the Cuban People, and overcome those barriers. They are very passionate about bringing justice to those who have been wronged.
Q. How old were you when your father was arrested, and how old are you now?
Irma: I am 21, and I was 14 when he got arrested. I am now studying 4th year psychology at the University of Havana.
Q. Can you tell us about what is happening in Cuba in response to the Cuban Five?
Elisabeth: In Cuba, every person knows about the Five. Young people in the Young Pioneers Congress passed a resolution for the Five. So have the university students, and the Union of Young Communists. The whole Cuban people feel as if they were family.
In everything, at every meeting, the issue of the Five is always present. Youth have been very active in the case of the Five, who were themselves younger people when they were arrested.
Q.What response have you received from youth around the world, including Canada?
Elisabeth: In Canada - the Ché Guevera Work Brigade who we have met several times, have been very supportive - also, youth organizations in Spain, Venezuela, Argentina, Nicaragua, and many other countries. As Irma was saying, youth are the ones who can break all the barriers [of misconceptions] and call for equality for the people.
Q. What do you ask young people to do, in solidarity?
Irma: We want the people, the youth, to join this campaign to free the five men who were fighting terrorism - especially since the youth are the ones getting killed fighting in what are supposed to be wars against terror. Older people cannot do anything in war - they can direct and co-ordinate, but it is up to young people to do the fighting. You can't talk about the war on terror, as does George Bush, when you have five people in a US jail for fighting terrorism.
Thank you very much.
From People's Voice
