The Honorable Jimmy Carter
The Carter Center
One Copenhill
453 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30307
Dear President Carter:
We actors, artists, writers, teachers, cultural workers and other activists in the struggle for peace and justice in San Antonio, Texas, have read the letter that twenty Actors and Artists United for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 wrote you on April 8. We agree with the contents of that letter, which we have copied below, and we wish to add our names as signers to that letter.
We are sending a copy of this letter to President Barack Obama, to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to the five Cuban anti-terrorists who are in U.S. prisons, to the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, and to the U.S. office of the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5.
Since we are not so well known as the twenty Actors and Artists United for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 who wrote you on April 8, we have added after our names for identification purposes the organization we are with, our title or some other identifier. We speak as individuals. If the organization with which we are associated has taken an official position, the organization will be listed separately.
The following is the text of the April 8 letter to which we are referring:
Dear President Carter:
We, Actors and Artists United for the Freedom of the Cuban 5, want to extend our deepest gratitude for your recent visit to Cuba, as well as our support for your statements promoting improved relations between our countries.
Your call for the release of Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo, Antonio Guerrero Rodriguez, Fernando Gonzalez Llort, Ramon Labanino Salazar, and Rene Gonzalez Sehwerert, known as the Cuban 5, and your willingness to visit with their family members in Cuba mean a great deal to all involved. We strongly agree that there is no reason to keep these men, who were simply trying to protect their country from terrorism, imprisoned any longer.
And certainly, until their release, the US government should grant regular visas in a timely manner, to their family members to visit them.
Your leadership honors the principles upon which our nation was founded. Your calls to remove Cuba from the US State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, to lift the US blockade now having been imposed on Cuba for half a century, and to remove all restrictions imposed on its citizens regarding travel to Cuba (a position supported by 67% of Americans and Cuban Americans), are fair, just and appropriate.
Further, we enthusiastically support you in having subsequent discussions with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and hope you will call for urgent action on their part to make right this unjust situation.
Again, we thank you and look forward to the possibility of improved relations and future visits to Cuba.
With respect,
Edward Asner, Co-Chair
Danny Glover, Co-Chair
Jackson Browne
James Cromwell
Mike Farrell
Richard Foos
Elliott Gould
Chrissie Hand
Francisco Letelier
Esai Morales
Graham Nash
Bonnie Raitt
Susan Sarandon
Pete Seeger
Martin Sheen
Betty & Stanley K. Sheinbaum
Andy Spahn
Oliver Stone
Haskell Wexler
Additional San Antonio signers:
Florinda Avalos
Fuerza Unida
Imelda Arismendez
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
estevan arredondo
Carolyn V. Atkins
Esmeralda Baltazar
Fuerza Unida
Ellen Berky
Architect
Karen Blaesing
Roberto Botello
Artist
Christopher J. Boyle
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Alice A. Canestaro-Garcia
EnergÃa MÃa
David C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of History, The University of Texas-Pan American
Viola Casares
Fuerza Unida
Antonia I. Castañeda
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
Imelda Castillo
S.W.U.
MarÃa Castro
Michael G. Castro
Irasema Cavazos
Member of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
Luis Angel Perez Chávez
Fuerza Unida
Magda Chellet
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
J. George Cisneros
Artist
Laura Parra Codina
Community Activist
Yasmina Codina
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
Carmen Cuevas-Gross
Dylan Daney
John Dauer
San Antonio, Tx
Yvette B. Davies
Larry V. Don
Sylvia E. Don
Ismael Dovalina
Community College Psychology Instructor
Tim Duda
Activist
Paula Earl-Orozco
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Rita Vidaurri Eden
Anel Flores
Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center
Fr. Tom Flower, CFJ
Priest
Gregory Fox
UNITE HERE, Local dissident & activist
John J. Gagliano
Giovanni’s Pizzeria / Deli / Catering
Manuela H. Gallardo
Fuerza Unida
Tina Galvan
Fuerza Unida
Robin Gara
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Mariann Garner-Wizard
Youth Emergency Service, Inc.
Anselmo Garza
San Antonio, Tx 78210
Rodney “El RAWdnei” Garza
Poeteatrista of Peace Posse
Sandra A. Gasca
Herb Gonzales, Jr.
Bexar County Green Party member
Erika Gonzalez
Marisa González
MarÃa Greenstreet
Jessica O. Guerrero
San Antonio community
Dorcas Veneé Guevara
Norma Guzmán
Amanda Haas
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Emma Christina Hernández
Latino Youth Collective
Anna Maria Herrera-Guerra
Bethany Holmes
UNITE HERE!
Martha E. Huerta
José C. Jacobs
Retired Public School teacher, Laredo, Texas
Michael Kaib
Amy Kastely
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Olga Kauffman
RITA
Tom Keene
Pax Christi, San Antonio
Judith Cashin Lerma, RNC MSN CCM
National Nurses Organizing Committee – Texas
Paula Littles
Ruth Lofgren
San Antonio Quaker
Peter Maher
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Lalo Mani
Adelina Martinez
John V. Martinez
Prisoners Defense Committee
Petra A. Mata
Fuerza Unida
Joel A. Mayer
Democratic Precinct Chair, Pct 2035, San Antonio, Texas
Deirdre McDonald
Librarian
Raymond N. McDonald
Phyllis McKenzie
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
Rachel D. Melendes
Jessica Mendez
UNITE HERE
Christine Miller
UNITE HERE!
Gabriel Morales
Josefina R. Morales
Andrea Mota
self
Barbara A. Murray
Neifa Nacel-Dovalina
Attorney
Naomi Shihab Nye
Ben Olguin
Frank Ontiveros
Hilda Ortiz
Fuerza Unida
Judith Perez
Lee Roy Perez
Angelica Pinales
Fuerza Unida
Kamala Platt
David H. Plylar
Free man
Richard S. Pressman, PhD
St. Mary’s Universisty
Patti Radle
Former member San Antonio (Texas) City Council
Gloria A. RamÃrez
Esperanza Center
Genevieve Rodriguez
“Cuban American!” Miami born & raised Cuban!
Henry Rodriguez
LULAC Civil Rights Chair / District XVI Director
Mary Agnes Rodriguez
Artist/ Muralist
Melissa Rodriguez
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center /Pastors for Peace
Noel Rodriguez
Organizing Director, UNITE HERE Local 11
Jessica Ruvalcaba
Fuerza Unida
Dora Elsa Ruiz
Teacher
Ruby Ruiz
Sally E. Said
University professor
Bernard Sánchez
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Enrique Sánchez
Esperanza Center
Graciela Isabel Sanchez
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Isabel Sanchez
Esperanza
Michele Nicole Simpson
Larry Skwarczynski
Veterans for Peace Chap/Coodinator #126
John W. Stanford
Peace activist
Joseph A. Stormer
of Seattle, WA
Ricarda MarÃa Tello de Cuevas
Albert Tobar
Nurse
Martha Ann Tobar
Charles & Jane Tuck
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Arthur R. Valdez
Ines Valdez
Mujer Artes
Pancho Valdez
Laborer’s Union Local 1095
Mariana Vasquez
MujerArtes
ramon vasquezysanchez
Monica Velasquez
Dee Villarrubia
Bexar County Democratic Party Deputy Chair
Norma Villegas
Fuerza Unida
Roberto & Martha von Ellenrieder
San Antonio, Texas
Michael W. White
Attorney at Law
NOTE: TITLE OR OTHER IDENTIFIER UNDER ABOVE NAMES IS SHOWN FOR IDENTIFICATION ONLY.
email copies sent to:
President Barack Obama
National Committee to Free the Cuban Five
International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five
copies sent by U.S. mail to:
The Honorable Hillary Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Antonio Guerrero, #58741-004
FCI Florence
P.O. Box 6000
Florence, CO 81226
Fernando González, in outside envelope addressed to
Rubén Campa, #58733-004
F.C.I. Terre Haute
P.O. Box 33
Terre Haute, IN 47808
Gerardo Hernández, #58739-004
U.S.P. Victorville
P.O. Box 5300
Adelanto, CA 92301
Ramón Labañino, in outside envelope addressed to
Luis Medina, #58734-004
F.C.I. Jesup
2680 301 South
Jesup, GA 31599
René González, #58738-004
F.C.I. Marianna
P.O. Box 7007
Marianna, FL 32447-7007
