Assata Shakur, an African American freedom fighter, was convicted of killing a New Jersey cop in 1973. She escaped prison in 1979 and lives in exile in Havana, Cuba. In May 2005, the United States government added Shakur to its terrorism watch list and increased the bounty for her capture to $1 million. The writer presented this talk on behalf of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five at a meeting to honor Shakur in South Los Angeles on Nov. 4.
Hello sisters and brothers. My name is Carlos Alvarez with the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five.
The committee sends revolutionary greetings and solidarity to our comrade and ally, Assata Shakur, who lives in
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Just as the U.S. government wants to erase Assata’s ideas and influence, they want to destroy Cuba. Cuba is a beacon of hope to all who seek a better world. It has free health care and education. No one is homeless. It is working to eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia. It helped defeat the South African apartheid forces in Angola and has sent doctors all over the world.
In return, Washington has blockaded, invaded, and terrorized Cuba for almost 50 years. Assassinations and bombings have targeted the Cuban people.
In the early 1990s, five brave Cuban men went into Miami to stop U.S. terrorism against Cuba. The Five are Gerardo Hernández, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino and Rene González.
They infiltrated right-wing anti-Cuba organizations to protect Cuban and U.S. lives.
But instead of being treated as heroes, the FBI arrested the Five in 1998.
They were falsely charged with various conspiracy counts and held in solitary confinement for 17 months.
Worst of all, they were tried in Miami, the one city where they could never receive a fair trial.
Since their conviction, the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five has been working hard to make the Cuban Five known in every U.S. household. We will not stop fighting until they are free and home in Cuba.
To learn more and get involved, visit our website, http://freethefive.org/. And hear the National Committee’s coordinator, Gloria La Riva, speak about the Five and Cuba on Saturday, Nov. 11, at a Socialism Conference in downtown LA.
Hands off Assata! Free the Cuban Five and all political prisoners! Long live the Cuban revolution!
