Puerto Rican Brigade Supports the Cause of the Five

The over 130 members of the Juan Rius Rivera Puerto Rican solidarity brigade, held on Thursday a meeting with relatives of the five heroes imprisoned by the Empire.

Speaking to the press, Carmen Virginia Lopez, leader of the contingent, expressed support for the struggle for the release of Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, because they are serving unjust sentences in U.S. for alerting their people about terrorist actions planned in Florida.

Likewise, they called for the release of three Puerto Rican fighters Avelino Gonzalez Claudio, Oscar Lopez Rivera and Norberto Gonzales Claudio, who also are serving long sentences in the U.S..

The Juan Rius brigade will be in Cuba until the first of August, and as part of its program of activities will visit the memorial that holds the remains of Ernesto Guevara in Santa Clara, and travel to Havana to lay a wreath at the monument to Major General Calixto García.

They will also learn details about updating the Cuban economic model, perform volunteer work in agriculture and are scheduled to visit the La Plata headquarters, Las Coloradas, and the birthplace of Fidel and Raul in Biran.

During the rest of their stay on the island they will visit in the province of Matanzas places like the Bay of Pigs Museum and the headquarters of the Korimacao theater group, in the Cienaga de Zapata.

In addition, they will exchange experiences with the Venceremos Brigade, whose members visit the island each year in defiance of travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. blockade.

The day before departure, there is an event as a tribute to Reverend Lucius Walker at the Jose Marti Memorial in Havana.

General Juan Rius Rivera was the highest ranking Puerto Rican soldier in the Cuban Independence Army in the war against Spanish colonialism.

GRANMA