Two Cuban men, considered national heroes in their home country will speak at the historic Tolpuddle festival this week to thank campaigners for their role in securing their freedom from US jails.
René Gonzalez and Gerardo Hernández are members of the Miami Five, Cuban men who were tried and arrested in Miami and spent more than 13 years in US prisons for trying to stop terrorist attacks against their homeland.
Their crime was to infiltrate right-wing exile groups based in Miami, USA, which had been carrying out violent and deadly attacks against the Cuban people for many years. Although the Five were attempting to save lives, the US government arrested them and not the terrorists.
They were charged with spying and held in solitary confinement for 22 months. Their trial and long sentences were condemned by international human rights groups, religious organisations and Nobel Prize winners.
On top of this, the US government denied René and Gerardo’s wives visitation rights for more than 12 years.
The men’s case became part of recent negotiations to restore diplomatic relations between Cuba and the USA, with the men’s release on 17 December 2014 coinciding with the historic statements by president’s Obama and Castro that the country’s would restore diplomatic relations.
The US government facilitated secret IVF treatment for Gerardo Hernández’s wife, while he was still in prison and negations between the two countries were at a critical stage to help build trust. Just three weeks after his release, his wife Adriana Perez gave birth to a baby girl Gema, and both accompany them on the tour.
British campaigners were at the forefront of the international campaign for their release and took part in lobbying, speaking tours, vigils and wrote thousands of letters to the men during their 16 years in prison.
Their visit comes after a two year battle against the British government in the High Court to win them visas to visit the country. They had been prevented from entering the UK due to the time they spent in US jails, despite having visited many other European countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Russia and Sweden. The battle for the visas was led by Jeremy Corbyn MP and Baroness Angela Smith who had issued invitations to the men to visit.
They are here at a pivotal time in Cuba’s history. René and Gerardo will speak about their time in US jails, how international solidarity helped free them, the current situation with US-Cuba relations.
René and Gerardo, will speak on
Friday 15th July, headquarters of the NUT, Mabledon Place, London
Sunday 17 July, at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, Dorset
