Relatives of the Cuban Five to
Attend Rally in Nicaragua
Relatives of five Cubans
imprisoned in the US since 1998
for fighting terrorism are
joining Monday a rally marking
the 71st anniversary of the
murder of Nicaraguan patriot
Augusto Cesar Sandino.
The wives of Gerardo Hernandez
and Ramon Labañino, and the
mother of Fernando Gonzalez
arrived in Nicaragua last
Thursday as part of an
international drive to free the
Cuban Five, as they are
internationally known.
Gerardo, Ramon, Fernando,
Antonio Guerrero and Rene
Gonzalez were arrested in 1998
in Miami, and later faced a
deceitful, politicized trial
sentencing them to severe
punishment, from 15 years to
double life sentences.
They are currently awaiting
verdict from the Atlanta Court
of Appeals, after the defense
claimed the Miami jury had been
threatened by the Miami-based
anti-Cuban groups.
The lawyers has requested a new
trial in a new venue, but Miami.
On Saturday, the three women met
with over two thousand
Nicaraguan women, and told them
the truth about the case.
Our relatives never put US
national security in danger.
They were just monitoring
terrorist plots by Miami-based
anti-Cuban organizations, they
explained to an audience that
packed a conference hall at
Managua’s Holiday Inn.
They met Friday with Nicaragua’s
Public Human Rights Defender,
Omar Cabezas, who promised them
that he will take the case to
all upcoming meetings with his
peers from all over the world.
The local media has also given a
large coverage of the Cuban Five
relatives’ visit to this Central
American country.
Colombia and Venezuela Agree to
Push Bilateral Relations Ahead
Colombian Foreign Minister
Carolina Barco and her
Venezuelan counterpart Alí
Rodríguez have discussed
bilateral mechanisms to
strengthen cooperation and
agreed to begin meetings in
March on specific issues.
A joint statement, the two
officials assured their six-hour
meeting on Sunday went very
positively under a friendly
atmosphere and mutual
understanding.
The document says that both
foreign ministers decided to
create joint technical
commissions to look into
projects for a gas pipeline and
an oil pipeline as well as the
construction of a refinery in
Cartagena. The groups will meet
March 1 through 5.
Both countries also agree to
deal with issues related to
power generation, fuels in the
border and coal.
Colombia and Venezuela will
decide -on the first week of
March- over key issues related
to trade and a joint technical
commission will meet March 15
and 16 for a comprehensive study
of rivers for common use.
Barco and Rodríguez agreed that
Colombian and Venezuelan
representatives would decide in
Caracas -before March ends- over
the creation of a bilateral fund
for emergencies. Both countries
will also hold the 4th Science
and Technology Mixed Cooperation
Commission.
The statement also says that the
Venezuelan State of Tachira
|
|
Puerto Ricans Called to
Fight for Independence
Puerto Rican
citizens should open their
eyes and retake national
conscience, to reach
decolonization of the island
and independence from the
US, said New York"s El
Diario/La Prensa newspaper
Sunday
Journalist Luis Berrio wrote
an article in which he said
that Puerto Ricans should
not fall into slogans
defending half liberties or
crippled sovereignty.
"Puerto Rico is a country
with a great history of
decolonizing fights, which
some people want to let
forget and hide from the
eyes of the world, this is
seen in schools, where
children are taught a fairy
tale on the colonization and
invasion of their homeland,"
the article said and also
called to put an end to
cultural assimilation or
colonization.
Until 1898, Puerto Rico was
under Spanish domain, and
later went to the hands of
the American Union, at the
end of the so called
Spanish-Cuban-American war.
The Committee of
Decolonization of the United
Nations Organization(UNO)
approved resolutions
supporting the self
determination and
independence of Puerto Rico.
The island is ruled since
1952 as a Free Associate
State (FAS) enabling
Washington to exert a strict
control over the Puerto
Rican national territory and
politcal life. |
|
|
|
