Cuban Five – Dissidents Swap Alive
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES, April 18 — The offer by Cuba for a prisoner exchange with the US continues on the table as overtures from both sides have sparked new hopes over a possible dialogue between the two eternal adversaries.
One of the bargaining chips being used by the Obama administration to achieve normalized relations with Cuba are the “political prisoners” held on the island for opposing the Cuban government. Cuba, for its part, wants the release from US jails of five of its compatriots known internationally as the Cuban Five.
President Raul Castro said Thursday in Venezuela: “If they want freedom for the so-called “political prisoners”, which include some confessed terrorists (…) release our prisoners and we will send them there, with their families and anyone they want.”
During a visit to Brazil last December, Castro said Cuba would be willing to trade what it considers a group of prisoners it accuses of having betrayed the country while working on a salary from Washington, for the Cuban Five, who had infiltrated violent exile groups based in Miami to prevent further terrorist attacks against the island.
The US calls the prisoners in Cuba “dissidents” and Cuba refers to the Cuban Five as “heroes.” A prisoner swap would be a major breakthrough in thawing icy relations.
To learn more about the Cuban Five check out this post: http://havanatimes.org/?p=5450
This is true jose but when men talk it is best , more gets done. I also doubt that Billary knows anything about Cuba other than what she read. Plus we must not forget that Pres Obama is another AMERICAN PRESIDENT
Si jose es verdad pero yo creas que quando los hombere habla toda paso mejor Diplomaticia si pero con los hombre solomente
My things is, that both Cuba and the US would do well to be careful and willing to know who they are releasing, who they are keeping, and who they are accepting. i say this because many came to the US in 1980 who turned out to be not the best. I also KNOW that presuure will not work with Fidel nor others because they see the OAS as useless, the tourism is about to roll out, Cuba can deal with Europe and Asia so the only ones who lose are the Cuban citizens. i see this from both views. Freedom to gather ,liberty, decent food ,housing and the right to free speech. i also see it from the Cuban perspective,.The Cuban five were protecting Cubans from the failed policies of the past and should be released by any means necessary i see this as a beat down the US GOV locked them up for no real reason other than to try to get the Fidel to fail.? Pres Obama also needs to look at the many many US Black Panthers who are still imprisoned after 25+ yrs, Leonard Peltier, from the AIM etc
I will step out on faith and say that Fidel will never be pressured but so far, and i doubt that Billary can convince him because she was against talking in the first place. i would rather see the bredren at the negotiating table because Billary, seems to believe that the US is at fault for the drugs and guns going to Mexico, so in my opinion she does not have the Pres back…Suffice it that he has an agenda i do not like as well and i believe he will mess this up trying to outhink Fidel..NOT!! what he needs to do is come with his A+ game and leave the pant suits at home
Letter to Barak Obama:
Please bring your A+ game and do not think that age has clouded Fidels mind..
What should have been put on the table is
1. Allowing Cubans to travel outside of the isla
2. How will Cuba/US secure the health of thier cit when/if the embargo. is lifted
3 Should this happen I am sure that the Cuban Gov is aware that Mexican mafia the Columbia drug dealers and thier mules(women) will enter first and that within 5 yrs AIDS/HIV will be rampart?
without a country
aquí es donde la diplomacia se pone buena