In my article currently
circulating in
Nueva Réplica I
regretted that the New York
Times had not raised the case of
Gerardo, Ramón and Antonio in
its editorial last October in
which the paper called for
ending the US blockade against
Cuba.
When I wrote it, I did not
imagine that with that document,
the New York paper would start
an important debate, which has
lasted a month and includes
several editorials advocating a
substantial change in the
relations between the two
countries. The latest one,
published Sunday, November 2,
proposed that the three be
released and that in exchange,
Cuba for humanitarian reasons
would free Alan Gross who was
sentenced here for participating
in illegal activities to
overthrow the revolutionary
government.
This is a fair and reasonable
position. The paper is right
when it defines the release of
three Cuban heroes as a vital
step towards civilized
coexistence between two
countries that are and will
always be neighbors.
It should be added to the
arguments of the Times that none
of the Five were accused of
espionage and therefore were not
"spies". As was demonstrated at
the trial in Miami, none of them
had access to secret information
related to the national security
of the United States. Neither
had been given directions to
look for that kind of
information. This was
acknowledged under oath by Gen.
James R. Clapper who was a
government witness whose
testimony appears on pages
13089-13235 of the trial
transcript. It's the same
Clapper who today is the
Director of National
Intelligence in the Obama
Administration.
It is also necessary to remember
that the mission of the Five was
to try to thwart terrorist plans
against Cuba which more than
once have caused death and
damage also to people living in
United States.
But, in any case, this editorial
from the New York Times should
be hailed as an event of
transcendental importance. The
wall of silence surrounding the
case of the Five has received a
devastating blow which hopefully
is final.
Downloaded
November 6, 2014.
En
mi artículo que aparece en la Nueva Réplica actualmente
circulando reproché al New York Times que no hubiese planteado
el caso de Gerardo, Ramón y Antonio en su Editorial del pasado
octubre en el que se pronunció por la eliminación del bloqueo
norteamericano contra Cuba.