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On Thursday January 14th, the Free the Cuban 5 Committee Vancouver organized the first picket of the New Year in front of the US Consulate demanding the Freedom of the 5 Cuban Heroes who have been unjustly imprisoned in US jails for over 11 years.

The picket was opened by MC Noah Fine, organizer of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee- Vancouver who highlighted the importance of our struggle for the freedom of Gerardo Hernández, René González, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino and Fernando González in 2009.

After a first round of loud chanting demanding “FREE THE CUBAN 5 NOW” and “JUSTICE FOR THE FIVE NOW”, Noah introduced the first speaker. Aaron Mercredi, organizer with Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) highlighted the hypocrisy of having Cuba on the US’s lists of state-sponsors of terrorism. That Five Cubans were sent to investigate terrorist organizations who have committed crimes against Cuba and who operate freely in Miami and instead of arresting these terrorists the US Government arrested these Five Cuban Heroes. Then Kerri Goodwin, an organizer with Indigenous Rights Action Project (IRAP) powerfully read her poem on the Cuban 5.

After a final round of picketing, Alicia Jrapko from the International Committee to Free the Cuban 5 spoke via phone from San Francisco, US. She highlighted the new postcard campaign to have more people sign and demand US President Barack Obama release the Cuban 5 from jail immediately. She passionately demanded that two of the wives of the Cuban Five, Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez who have not seen their husbands in almost 12 years be granted visitation rights to see their husbands.

Noah stressed the importance of continually coming out every month in front of the US Consulate to demand the Freedom of these Five Cuban Heroes.

FREE THE CUBAN 5 HEROES NOW!