Namibians to campaign for ‘Cuban 5’

VETERAN politician and liberation icon Andimba Toivo ya Toivo yesterday announced the start of a national campaign aimed at lobbying for the release of five Cuban nationals being held in an American jail for allegedly spying on the United States.

Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labanino, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez will this month mark their eighth year in prison. They were arrested in 1998 on 26 criminal charges, including false identification, espionage and conspiracy to commit murder.Between them, the men are serving four life sentences and 75 years.Their arrest sparked international protest, including from the Cuban government.The men argued that they were monitoring anti-Fidel Castro groups operating out of Miami, Florida, which they claimed were allegedly planning “terrorist” attacks on Cuba.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Ya Toivo said that he and the Namibia-Cuba Friendship Association, which he heads, agree with international sympathisers of the group that they had not been given a fair trial, and needed to be either freed or be given a fair trial.”We who were in exile, and I especially, were supported by the international community who were campaigning for our release (from Robben Island prison in South Africa).We think now we should also come out and put our weight behind these people to either be freed, or at least be given a fair trial,” Ya Toivo said yesterday.He said many Namibians were ill informed about the situation facing the five men, and that this would be addressed by the campaign, which was set in motion yesterday.The Cuban Embassy in Windhoek is planning a lecture sometime this month to rally support for the cause, Ya Toivo said.The association plans to hand a list of Namibian signatures to the American National Committee To Free the Cuban Five.They were arrested in 1998 on 26 criminal charges, including false identification, espionage and conspiracy to commit murder.Between them, the men are serving four life sentences and 75 years. Their arrest sparked international protest, including from the Cuban government.The men argued that they were monitoring anti-Fidel Castro groups operating out of Miami, Florida, which they claimed were allegedly planning “terrorist” attacks on Cuba. Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Ya Toivo said that he and the Namibia-Cuba Friendship Association, which he heads, agree with international sympathisers of the group that they had not been given a fair trial, and needed to be either freed or be given a fair trial.”We who were in exile, and I especially, were supported by the international community who were campaigning for our release (from Robben Island prison in South Africa).We think now we should also come out and put our weight behind these people to either be freed, or at least be given a fair trial,” Ya Toivo said yesterday.He said many Namibians were ill informed about the situation facing the five men, and that this would be addressed by the campaign, which was set in motion yesterday.The Cuban Embassy in Windhoek is planning a lecture sometime this month to rally support for the cause, Ya Toivo said.The association plans to hand a list of Namibian signatures to the American National Committee To Free the Cuban Five.