The Cuban Five and a Young Correspondent / Los Cinco en el corazón de Karime

Sheyla Delgado Guerra

When she was only 8 years old, Karime Febles Fresquet wrote her first letters to each of the Cuban Five, the men unjustly imprisoned in the United States for fighting terrorism against Cuba.

In a trial plagued with irregularities and held in a highly biased Miami court, the Cuban Five —Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero and René González— were given harsh sentences ranging from 15 years to consecutive life terms plus 15 years.

The five Cubans were working to uncover information about terrorist activities being planned and carried out against Cuba by ultra-rightwing organizations based in southern Florida with a long record of terrorist actions against Cuba and the Cuban people. When they turned their information over to authorities they were arrested and have been in jail ever since.

Her first letter, which was written with the typical style of a third grader, moved Antonio Guerrero in his cell in the United States and brought him and his comrades a message of solidarity and hope.

karime febles fresquet has corresponded with the cuban five since she was 8 years old.

Some time later, for Febles’ surprise, a letter from Antonio Gerrero arrived in the municipality of Regla, in Havana, where she resides.

"I remember that day vividly. I was very excited. A letter from one of the Cuban Five!" she said proudly.

As of that day, she never stopped corresponding with the Cuban Five. She kept them updated about various issues: from national and international news to common events in her primary schools and her neighborhood.

"When I started attending the Martires de Regla High School," she said "I wanted other students to join the battle for the immediate release of the Cuban Five, and it was then that it occurred to me that I could found a solidarity committee solely made up by students.

The committee was led by five students, including Fresquet. They were united by a common goal: to see Antonio, Gerardo, Rene, Ramon and Fernando back in Cuba.

Moved by the same feeling, Fresquet felt that it was necessary to organize a meeting of solidarity with the Cuban Five in her constituency, which she organized for Tuesday night to demand an immediate end to the injustice against our five brothers.

From the stand set up in her community in Guaicanamar, the 15-year-old girl raised her voice to denounce, as millions of people around the world, that Rene Gonzalez has been freed from prison but continues to be denied the possibility to return home, and that his four comrades are still serving unjust sentences.

"They are my heros, the exemple to follow," concluded Fresquet.

GRANMA
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Los Cinco en el corazón de Karime

Sheyla Delgado Guerra

Cuando apenas tenía ocho años, Karime Febles Fresquet escribió su primera carta a uno de esos Cinco jóvenes cubanos que entonces ella no conocía y que hoy siente muy cercanos.

Aquella misiva, con la caligrafía y el lenguaje propios de una niña de tercer grado, movió los barrotes de la celda de Antonio Guerrero en los Estados Unidos para llevarle a él y a sus cuatro hermanos de lucha un mensaje de solidaridad y esperanza.

Foto: Yander Zamora. Desde los ocho años Karime mantiene correspondencia con los Cinco.

Algún tiempo después, para sorpresa de Karime, a su casa en el consejo popular de Guaicanamar, del capitalino municipio de Regla, llegó correspondencia de Antonio dirigida a ella.

"Recuerdo ese día con mucha emoción, imagínate, una carta de uno de los Cinco Héroes"—comentó con orgullo.

Desde entonces, sus misivas desde Guaicanamar a las cárceles de los Cinco antiterroristas cubanos en tierra norteamericana no faltaron. Escribía siempre para actualizar a los Cinco sobre temas diversos: desde el acontecer nacional hasta lo que sucedía en su escuela primaria y en su barrio.

"Al entrar a la secundaria básica Mártires de Regla, quise que otros pioneros se sumaran también a la lucha por la liberación inmediata de los Cinco y fue entonces cuando me surgió la idea de crear un comité de solidaridad conformado solamente por pioneros."

Cinco fueron los estudiantes —entre ellos Karime— que lideraron ese comité, unidos por un sentimiento común: el de ver a Tony, Gerardo, René, Ramón y Fernando de nuevo en suelo cubano.

Movida ahora por ese mismo sentimiento, Karime sintió que no podía faltar al acto en solidaridad con los Cinco Héroes que su consejo popular realizó la noche del martes para proclamar el fin de la injusticia contra nuestros hermanos.

Y desde la tribuna enclavada en Guaicanamar —acto que inauguró una nueva Jornada de Solidaridad con los Cinco, organizada por el Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos (ICAP)— se alzó la voz de esta adolescente de 15 años que no entiende —como millones de personas en el mundo— por qué René salió de una cárcel para entrar a otra y por qué sus cuatro hermanos de causa cumplen tan injustas condenas.

"Un ídolo, un estandarte, un ejemplo... eso son ellos", y así viven los Cinco en el corazón de Karime.

GRANMA