Terrorism: The Work of Monsters

Elio Delgado Legon

HAVANA TIMES — There are two dates in which Cubans experience pain over those who have perished and hatred and contempt towards the monsters capable of organizing or carrying out terrorist acts: September 4 and October 6.

On September 4, 1997, a Salvadorian terrorist, following orders from the monster Luis Posada Carriles, placed several bombs in hotels around Havana. One of them took the life of the young Italian tourist Fabio di Celmo. Miraculously, there were no other deaths or injuries that day, and all of the bombs went off.

On October 6, 1976, two terrorists, also under orders from Posada Carriles, blew up a Cuban commercial airliner with 73 passengers on board, while departing from Barbados.

In the course of 55 years, thousands of terrorist acts against Cuba have been carried out. These have claimed the lives of more than three thousand people and left two thousand others disabled and are the reason young Cuban revolutionaries, willing to sacrifice themselves, were sent to the infiltrate terrorist groups based in the United States, to try and prevent these acts in the future.

This is the reason the above dates were set as the beginning and end of the Third Solidarity Campaign with the Cuban Five, an event in support of the Cuban anti-terrorists who were convicted to long prison sentences in the United States for the “crime” of infiltrating terrorist groups operating on US soil.

Two of them, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, have already returned to Cuba, after serving out their unjust sentences. The other three – Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino and Antonio Guerrero – are still imprisoned in the United States.

Thousands of voices around the world have been raised to ask President Obama to release these men. Numerous acts and vigils are being staged in front of US embassies and the White House during the 32 days of the campaign, to demand that these Cuban heroes be released from prison.

Now, I ask myself: why does the United States insist on defending terrorists and punishing Cuban anti-terrorists? Why do Posada Carriles, Santiago Alvarez, Osvaldo Mitat, Manuel Alzugaray and other hundreds of terrorists enjoy the protection of the US government? Could it be that the United States is somehow involved in the terrorist acts carried out against Cuba? Does the US government have the moral authority, then, to draw up lists of countries that sponsor terrorism?

In all likelihood, the United States created those monsters and feels the obligation to protect them, and it is a disgrace that they should accuse other countries of sponsoring terrorism while keeping the Cuban anti-terrorists in prison.

The 3rd International Solidarity Campaign with the Cuban Five will be held until October 6 in 38 countries to demand freedom for the three men who have been in prison since September 12, 1998.

The Symposium includes two crucial events: the 10th International Freedom for the Five and Anti-Terrorism Colloquium, held in Cuba on September 11 and 12, and the vigil in front of the White House, on the 12^th, which saw the participation of hundreds of social activists.

Sixteen years is a very long time! Thousands of voices around the world are being raised in unison. Let us hope Obama will hear them and remove, with his signature, this stain on the US justice system.