Georgetown: The Guyana Cuba Solidarity Movement (GCSM) was one of the many organizations praised for its work in advocating for the freedom of their Cuban Five. The Cubans spent more than 15 years in American jails on spying charges.
This remark was made by Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, during an event last month to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the re-initiation of Cuba’s War of Independence, and the decoration of the Cuban Five, in Havana’s Convention Center.
The Cuban Five, also known as the Miami Five are Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, and René González.
The agents were released last December as part of the deal by President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart to end five decades of Cold War hostility and restore diplomatic ties.
The Cuban Five also thanked mass organizations, institutions, attorneys, religious bodies, figures and governments from other countries which stood in solidarity their cause.
President of GCSM Haleem Khan said his organiosation has always sought to promote and protect the interest of Cuba’s wellbeing and development.
Khan recalled what has become known as the Cuban Disaster—the blowing up of a Cuban aircraft with 73 people on board. Eleven Guyanese were among those killed. The Guyanese killed in the crash were Jacqueline Williams, Rawle Thomas, Ann Nelson, Sabrina Harripaul, Rita Thomas, Margaret Bradshaw, Violet Thomas, Raymond Persaud, Harold Norton, Gordon Sobha and Seshnarine Kumar.
The Cuban Five maintained they never targeted the U.S. Government and that they were on a mission to monitor Miami-based terrorist groups plotting to attack Havana. Their convictions were criticized by the United Nations and Amnesty International.
Diplomatic Relations
Khan noted that Cuba is willing to restore diplomatic relations with the United States as soon as the Obama administration declares its intent to take the country off a list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Cuba was added to the terrorism sponsors list in 1982 when it backed insurgencies during the Cold War.
The GCSM president also reiterated that in 1972 Cuba achieved independence and Guyana was one of three CARICOM nations to courageously establish bilateral relations. The others were Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.
“Over the last 40 years, the relationship between Guyana and Cuba has been built on the solid foundation of dynamic political dialogue, warm mutual respect and productive cooperation”. He emphasized.
Although no date for the renewal of relations – or the next round of talks – was announced, the head of the U.S. delegation, Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, said she was “optimistic” about the renewal of relations before the Panama summit.
The EU is already Cuba's top foreign investor. EU officials say the proposed accord would give Brussels a bigger role in Havana's market-oriented reforms, position EU companies for Cuba's transition to a more open economy and allow the Europe to press for political freedoms on the Communist-ruled island.
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