Solidarity Campaign for The Five to be Held in Washington

Havana, Cuba, Mar 17.- Personalities of the United States and on a worldwide scale committed themselves to supporting the next campaign "5 Days for the 5 Cubans," to be carried out in Washington DC, informed on Saturday the International Committee for the Freedom of these anti-terrorists.

From several cities of the United States, Europe, Canada and Latin America, solidarity-with- Cuba friends will travel to Washington to denounce –from April 17th through the 21st-, the injustices committed in their case, and reflect the world clamor for the end of these injustices, reads a text sent by the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five, from Oakland, California.

Intellectuals, professors, religious persons, trade unionists, artists and  activists have confirmed their support for the demonstrations, among them Noam Chomsky, Danny Glover, Mike Farrell, Pete Seeger, Angela Davis, Tony Woodley, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Gayle McLaughlin – mayor of Richmond, California-, and Geoffrey Bottoms, priest of the United Kingdom.

The program for April 17, (first day), includes lobbying the US Senate and Congress, while the public meeting "Obama give me five" will be held on April 20, following the opening at the Festival Center in Northwest of "Humor desde el Encierro" (Humor from imprisonment), a traveling exhibition of political caricatures by Gerardo Hernandez, one of The Five.

"Obama Give me Five" will tackle two topics: the need to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba; the lifting of travel ban imposed on US citizens; freedom for The Five; the removal of Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism; and the return to the Caribbean island of the US Naval Base in Guantanamo, among others.

It will have, as guest, Father Miguel d'Escoto, former President of the UN General Assembly (2008 -2009), and former Foreign Minister of Nicaragua, and the speakers will be Wayne Smith, Salim Lamrani, Mavis Anderson, James Early, Jose Pertierra and Saul Landau.

Also present will be Cindy Sheehan, (USA), Norman Paech (Germany), Arnold August (Quebec), Stephen Kimber and Brian Gordon Sinclair (Canada),  Katrien Demynck (Belgium), and ambassadors from countries that are members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA).

A meeting with leaders of different religious denominations will be also held on April 21, as well as a Picket/Rally in front of the White House, with people coming from Washington DC and other US cities.

In addition, the documentaries “Esencias" (Essence), by Roberto Chile, on the tour of the US of the Cuban Children’s Theater Group La Colmenita in October (April 19), and “Por favor, que el verdadero terrorista se ponga de pie,” (Will the real terrorist please stand up) by Saul Landau (April 18 and 19), which denounces the impunity enjoyed by criminals like Luis Posada Carriles, Orlando Bosch, Jose Basulto and Antonio Veciana, will be screened.

The closing of this campaign for justice and human rights (April 21), which will take place at the Bolivarian Hall of the Venezuelan embassy, will have US pacifist Cindy Sheehan as its main speaker. (ACN).

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