Who are the Cuban 5? In this era, where terror is a prominent tool of imperialist powers, and where independence is intolerable to them, five Cubans stand in prisons across the US as heroes of all working and oppressed people in the world. After decades of terror against the Cuban people instigated by terrorist groups harbored by the United States and its agencies like the CIA, the Cuban government decided it had to act. Between 1994 and 1995, Cuba sent five unarmed men, Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramone Labanino, Rene Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez on a mission to infiltrate and expose Miami-based terrorist groups such as Alpha 66, Omega 7, Brothers to the Rescue and Cuba America National Foundation, the financial backbone of all anti-Cuban terrorist groups. These groups are responsible for hundreds of terrorist attacks, which have taken the lives of thousands of Cubans. The list of atrocities committed by these groups is long. They include the bombing of hotels in Cuba, assassinations, the spreading of disease, sabotage and attacks against Cuba supporters in the US such as the bombing of the Lincoln Center in 1978 after a Cuban ballet. One of the most horrendous attacks was the bombing of a Cuban airliner, which took the lives of 73 people in 1976. The Cuban 5 were valiantly struggling against this terror, putting themselves and their loved ones in mortal danger throughout the process. In 1998, after having gathered sufficient evidence to expose the terrorists, Cuba released all the information that the Cuban 5 had gathered to the FBI. Immediately following this, the Cuban 5 were arrested and put in solitary confinement for 17 months. It was not until 2001 that these men were convicted. After a seven-month show trial (one of the longest in American history), the Cuban 5 were sentenced to between 15 years and double life, each in a separate maximum-security prison, barred from ever seeing their families. "United States of America (plaintiff-Appellee), versus Gerardo Hernandez, Luis Medina, Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Ruben Campa (Defendants-Appellants)" -Appeals from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida "They appeal their convictions, sentences, and the denial of their motion for a new trial arguing, inter alia, that the pervasive community prejudice against Fidel Castro and the Cuban government and its agents and the publicity surrounding the trial and other community events combined to create a situation where they were unable to obtain a fair trial. We agree, and REVERSE their convictions and REMAND for a retrial." -Taken from the 93 page document by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the United States On August 9th, 2005 after over five motions made by the defense to move the location of the trial to a neutral city, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals released their decision to re-locate the trial of the Cuban 5. The decision taken is to relocate to a venue free of the severely anti-Cuba sentiment that shadows over Miami. This sentiment has plagued the trial since the beginning and ensures that no trial being conducted in Miami having anything to do with Cuba would be unbiased. "The possibility of selecting twelve citizens of Miami-Dade County who can be impartial in a case involving acknowledged agents of the Cuban government is virtually zero," wrote Dr. Lisandro Perez on the exile of Cubans that followed US backed dictator of Cuba Fulgencio Batista after he and US intervention were overthrown by the Cuban revolution in 1959. Miami remains the environment most hostile to Cuba in the world and this question was raised and admitted throughout the case by the defendants and the plaintiff. A Huge Step Forward for the 5 Cuban Heroes This victory within the long and ongoing battle for justice by the Cuban 5 is one we must celebrate, but also one we must take seriously. Although the specific basis for the Cuban 5 to be sent to Miami was to put an end to terrorist attacks on Cuba and this was denied by the US administration, an even larger goal has been shown with this fight. The case of the Cuban 5 has served to further expose the illegitimacy and hypocrisy of the US, in a time where they are struggling to hold on to and strangle any bit of legitimacy they can get. The US has had to concede to the demands of the Cuban 5 because they are legitimate and follow basic human rights principals that Cuba and its people hold. The interests of the Cuban people are the same as that of the Cuban 5, they are the same interests that oppressed people echo all over Latin America and the world. They want an end to terrorist attacks and criminal blockade on them by the US government. Join the Fight to Free the 5 Cuban Heroes "The battle for the Five has not reached its end; it is just that a new chapter is beginning and we have to keep up the fight in every way we can." -Ricardo Alarcon in Caracas August 10th The US government is now further exposed with the new process of the case of the 5 Cuban heroes. We must unite to demand their immediate release. With well over 200 Free the Cuban 5 committees working world wide, the rising pressure of this fight is being injected straight into the veins of the US administration. With this great achievement won, we must continue the battle to its end. Free the Cuban 5 Heroes Held in US jails! Join the Free the Cuban 5 Committee Vancouver Phone: 778-836-7090 E-Mail: cuban5_van@yahoo.com or visit www.vancubasolidarity.com Mail: P.O. Box 21607 Vancouver, B.C. V5L 5G3			LINKS to FREE the FIVE Free The Five (USA Ntn'l Cttee) antiterroristas FreetheCubanFive.ca Toronto