On June 2, 23 Parliamentarians from Costa Rica sent a letter to President Obama asking him to free Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino and Antonio Guerrero, 3 of the Five Cuban antiterrorists imprisoned in the United States for more than 15 years. In the letter they mentioned the request made by Uruguayan President José Mujica and advocate for a humanitarian solution to the case of the Cuban 5. They also urge the U.S. Government to “seriously consider a humanitarian exchange of Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero and Ramón Labañino, by the American contractor Allan Gross”.
June 2, 2014
San José Costa Rica, Central América
President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500 USA.
Your Excellency Mr. President Obama,
This year, September 12 will mark 16 years since Five Cuban citizens were imprisoned in the United States and sentenced without any proof to long terms in prison ranging from 15 years to two life sentences. The trial in Miami lacked all guarantees to due process.
Since, September 12, 1998, these men have become recognized internationally as the “Cuban Five”. They are considered Cuban anti-terrorist patriots by the Cuban people and the peoples of our America, since their actions were to prevent terrorist acts against the people of Cuba and the United States.
The Presidential administrations of former Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and your own time in office, have witnessed that since that time of their incarceration people from all over the world have rallied on their behalf. There has been a nonstop chorus of voices demanding that your government release immediately Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino and Antonio Guerrero, three of the five Cubans who still remain in prison.
Mr. President, it is time that you put an end to this terrible injustice that during three administrations has shadowed the ideal of democracy and justice of your country. It reveals that double-speak and double standards prevails in this case and that concerns us.
You have in your hands the power to grant the executive pardon that they deserve so that they can return to their Cuban homeland to be with their families and their people.
Mr. President Obama, we members of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, today join the cry of the solidarity and social movements from all over the world, to support the proposal submitted to you by one of the most worthy Presidents of Latin America, his Excellency Mr. President of Uruguay José Mujica. He has expressed to you his deep concern in the case of the Five and the Guantánamo prisoners, cases which constitute two major embarrassments to humanity. On the other hand, we urge you to seriously consider the humanitarian exchange of Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero and Ramón Labañino, for the American agent Alan Gross.
Mr. President, we hope that you pay attention to our request and put an end to this shameful injustice committed against the Cuban Five anti-terrorist patriots.
Sincerely yours,
Costa Rican Deputies to the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
Ligia Elena Fallas RodrÃguez
Jorge Arguedas Mora
José Corrales L
José Antonio RamÃrez Aguilar
Ronald Vargas Araya
Carlos Hernández Alvarez
Gerardo Vargas Varela
Edgardo Vinicio Araya Sibaja
Humberto Varas Corrales
Patricia Mora Castellanos
Javier Francisco Cambronero Arguedas
Marvin Antonio Delgado
Nidia M Jiménez Vásquez
Laura Garro S.
Marlene Madrigal Flores
Marta Arauz Mora
Jorge RodrÃguez
Franklin Corella U
Rosibel Ramos Madrigal
Rafael Ortiz
Emilia Molina Cruz
VÃctor Hugo Morales
Natalio Guerrero Campos
International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5
