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The
Untold Story of the Cuban Five (Part IV)
By Ricardo Alarcón, president of the
National Assembly of People's Power
The
disproportionate prison terms imposed on the Cuban
Five – Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo (2 life terms plus
15 years), Ramón Labañino Salazar (1 life term plus
18 years), Antonio Guerrero Rodríguez (1 life term
plus 10 years), Fernando González Llort (19 years)
and Rene Gonzalez Sehwerert (15 years) – contrast
sharply with those applied in recent years in the
United States on other persons accused of truly
practicing espionage, sometimes at an uncommon scale,
and even on some tied to violent armed actions
against the United States. None of them was
condemned to life sentences; all of them received
lesser sentences than the Cuban Five, some have
already served their sentences and are free and
others, convicted of espionage, have had their
charges withdrawn by the Obama administration and
were set free.
The
excessive nature of the sentences of the Five is an
indication of the vengeful political motivation of
the whole trial, as are the conditions of their
incarceration, including the very serious obstacles
for family visits that go to the extreme of having
always denied visas to Gerardo and Rene’s wives.
But
there is an even more revealing aspect demonstrating
that the purpose of the US Government was to give
shelter and protect anti-Cuban terrorists, to
prevent their sinister plans from being discovered,
thus becoming accomplice and cover-up for their
future outrages. For the Bush administration that
was as important, or more, than the extravagant
years of incarceration. That was what the
prosecutors said, vehemently and in rather graphic
terms, when asking the Court for an additional
punishment: “incapacitation”.
What
does that mean? In their own words, for the
government it was essential to ensure that these
five individuals, after serving their prison terms,
could never again do anything that may affect the
activities of the terrorists who operate in Miami
under the protection of the US Government. To
guarantee that, the prosecutors requested, and the
Court granted, specific provisions on each sentence,
making certain that, after completing their entire
period of incarceration, even one and more life
terms, the defendants will be prevented from trying
to do what they did prompting their imprisonment.
Gerardo, Ramón and Fernando were born in Cuba and as
undesirable aliens, after terminating their prison
terms will be immediately expel from the US
territory. That was specifically incorporated in
each of their sentences including Gerardo’s, who
after spending in prison 15 years of his second life
will immediately be deported (Transcript of
sentencing hearing before the Honorable Joan A.
Lenard, December 12, 2001, page 93).
René
and Antonio posed a particular problem. Having been
born in Chicago and Florida, respectively, they are
both US citizens by birth and can not be forced to
leave the country. That called for a more
imaginative thinking and inspired rhetoric on the
part of the prosecutors. And they showed plenty of
both.
A more
precise and candid explanation of “incapacitation”
was required.
First
came René, sentenced “only” to 15 years. The
prosecutors expressed plainly their grave concern
with the prospects of a still young man getting free
and going back attempting to do again what he had
done.
The
Court, conceding to the government anxiety, added
this peculiar requirement to René’s sentence: “As a
further special condition of supervised release the
defendant is prohibited from associating with or
visiting specific places where individuals or groups
such as terrorists, members of organizations
advocating violence, and organized crime figures are
known to be or frequent.” (Transcript of Sentencing
Hearing before the Honorable Joan A. Lenard,
December 14, 2001, pages 45-46).
And
then it was the turn of Antonio Guerrero, who had
already received a life plus 10 years in prison. The
prosecutors had to employ all the resources of their
eloquence. For the government “incapacitation” was
of paramount importance. It could not take any
chances and when Antonio faced the Court on December
27th, 2001 it was added to his sentence, word by
word, the same “special condition” imposed
previously to René.
All
that happened in December 2001, just three months
after the horror of 9/11. Since that fateful day
George W. Bush became famous calling for an all out
war against terrorists and anybody that gives them
any kind of help. Just one quotation from his
repetitive parlance: “Any government that supports,
protects or harbours terrorists is complicit in the
murder of the innocent and equally guilty of
terrorist crimes.”
We have
to take George W. Bush at his own words.
P.S. In
October 2011 René González will have completed his
prison term if his defense does not succeed in
getting him out before. In any case he will be on
supervised release during the current administration.
Will President Obama try to “incapacitate” him?
Shall René still be prohibited from doing anything
to disturb the terrorists where they are “known to
be or frequent”?
Taken from
Counterpunch |
