Alan Gross Mourns Death of His Mother
HAVANA TIMES — Evelyn Gross, mother of Alan Gross, the US agent detained four and a half years ago in Cuba, died today at age 92, “without her dream of seeing her son again before passing on,” informed the family.
Evelyn Gross died in Plano (Texas) after a long battle with lung cancer, noted the family in a statement, reported dpa news.
Cuban authorities had repeatedly refused to allow Alan Gross permission to leave the island and visit his sick mother before she died.
“This is a devastating blow to Alan and our family,” said Judy Gross, Alan’s wife who explained that he and his mother were very close. “Before his arrest, they spoke twice a day by phone,” she added.
“I worry that Alan may now lose hope to return home someday and do something drastic,” said his wife, who urged President Barack Obama to do everything in his power to ensure the immediate return of her husband to the USA.
The US government today urged Havana to grant permission for humanitarian reasons to allow Gross, detained for four and a half years ago in Cuba, to return home to the United States so he can be with his family in mourning the death of his mother.
Alan Gross, 65, was arrested in December 2009 in Havana after bringing sophisticated telecommunications equipment to the island prohibited by the authorities. A court sentenced him to 15 years in prison on charges of encouraging “acts against the integrity” of the state.
Gross, a well-paid employee for Development Alternatives Inc., a sub-contractor for USAID, denies the charges and said that the equipment was only designed to facilitate Internet access to the Jewish community in Cuba.
Gross carried out a hunger strike for nine days in April of this year which he ended at the request of his now deceased mother.
Wrong yet again. Worse yet, in this case you are just making it up. Unless you are a former CIA agent, you likely have no idea what that agency’s hostage policy is, nor should you. Secondly, while the five Cuban spies have spent their years writing poetry and painting, Gross has been confined to a hospital ward. Have you seen Cuban hospitals? I’ll take the US Federal Penitentiary, with their exercise rooms and painting supplies over a Cuban hospital any day. At least the toilets flush in the US penitentiary.
Alan Gross exemplifies the dangers to freelancers of the C.I.A. and N.S.A.’s “outsourcing” its dirty work. If Gross had been an employee of either of these two agencies he’d have been traded for the Cuban Five within his first year of incarceration. Since he is only a freelancer, so to speak, he’s left in Cuba (his jail is considerably more humane than the federal penitenturies and solitary confinements the Cuban Five have had to endure).
Humberto, I don’t see a question in that statement…or any bias either. Simply stating a fact. You’re the only one who is questioning…and it’s really a bit odd. Are you short on material today? Surely you can do better than that.
“Gross, a well-paid employee for Development Alternatives Inc.”
A little biased dont you think Circles? When do you question the salaries of the real wealth of people in the news?