Cuban five ignored by media

John Geraghty


One of the most contentious cases in the US courts at the moment is that of the so-called ‘Cuban five’, who have been arrested on a host of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder. This case has been going on since 1998, though it has garnered little or no media attention. The five were in the USA in order to infiltrate a terrorist organisation known as ’brothers to the rescue’ . This aims of this organisation were to disrupt tourism to Cuba, and thus weakening Fidel Castro’s government, by committing acts of terrorism at popular tourist spots and aboard airliners. The Cuban ambassador to Ireland Noél Trujillo makes the point that the Cuban Government were never in a position to share their information with the US government due to the hostile relations between the two countries and the embargo of Cuba by the US, “They do not consider us as an equal counterpart”.

Examples of the attacks perpetrated against Cuba by these anti-Castro groups in Miami, some hangovers from the Batista regime, are long standing. Attacks upon Cuban harbours and hotels were and are a frequent occurrence. Attacks such as these gave the Cuban Government the justification for operating within the United States in order to expose terrorist groups such as ‘brothers to the rescue’.

Eventually the Cuban Government passed information concerning these groups to the authorities in the US. Instead of attempting to apprehend the group planning the bombing of airliners and committing acts of sabotage, the US seized upon this release of information as an opportunity to find out who the Cuban operatives within the group were and then arrest them.

The trial of the five was conducted in
Miami, a very hostile environment to any Castro supporter, as demonstrated by recent street celebrations at the news of his health difficulties. It is in contravention of US law for a trial to be held in a hostile environment, though a petition filed by the defence was rejected. “It was a very embarrassing situation for the US” says ambassador Trujillo. Four of the five are condemned to life sentences and the other to fifteen years. Appeals by the five have been denied due to the fact that 2,000 US government files relating to the case have been classified as a matter of national security. It is believed by the ambassador and other officials and humanitarian organisations that these files are being withheld because they would exonerate the five.

All five are kept in solitary confinement. One of the five was kept in ‘the hole’, a solitary cell where sleep is deprived, food is rationed and no light is allowed in, for seven months, which is in contravention of US law. The wives of the five are not allowed to visit them due to the fact that the US government views them as security risks.

Speculation has been made whether the Central Intelligence Agency either trained or were in some way involved in the terrorist organisation operating out of Miami. Ambassador Trujillo shares in this suspicion. There is a long history of CIA involvement with the anti-Castro exiles in Florida. Many were trained by the CIA in the run up to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. Following this failed attempt, the CIA continued to train Cuban exiles under an operation titles ‘Operation Mongoose’, which instructed participants to commit acts of terrorism on Cuban soil. It is very telling that several of the Watergate burglars were anti-Castro exiles trained by the CIA. Two such exiles trained by the CIA were Luis Posada Carilles and Orlando Bosch. The two were responsible for the bombing of a Cuban airliner in the 1970’s. Luis Posada Carilles was released from prison on an unrelated charge by presidential pardon from George H.W. Bush. Bush is a former director of the CIA and is known to have been heavily involved with such exile groups. Such was his involvement, a photo exists of Bush with a good friend, Felix Rodriguez, the man credited with the murder of Che Guevara. Posada is now applying for sanctuary in the US.
Orlando Bosch currently resides in the US. Both are wanted by the Cuban and Venezuelan Governments for acts of terrorism. The current attacks on Cuba come from those trained alongside Carilles and Bosch and also from a new breed of trainees.

Ambassador Trujillo remarks that the response from Irish politicians has been very positive, with 52 signatures of a petition by members of the Dáil from all political spectrums. Progress is being made in the case, though not from a public relations or media point of view. Despite its gravity, the story has received little news media attention. It has been buried by the major broadcasters because of the embarrassment it could cause to the US government.

Further information can be found at
www.freethefive.org and
Www.freethemiami5youth.org , an Irish organisation.