------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Oct. 24, 2002 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
IN THE SPIRIT OF CHE GUEVARA: BELGIUM CONFERENCE DEMANDS FREEDOM FOR CUBAN HEROES JAILED IN U.S. Special to Workers World Brussels, Belgium "Free the Five, Stop the War" was the clarion call at a daylong conference for Cuba in the capital of Belgium. Iniciativa Cuba Socialista (Cuba Socialist Initiative), a Belgian non-governmental organization, organized the conference. It drew 1,000 people, with broad participation by youths and unionists as well as members of Cuba solidarity groups from Germany, France, the Netherlands and Latin America. One of the keynote speakers was Harry "Pombo" Villegas, the Cuban revolutionary who fought alongside Che Guevara in battles from the Sierra Maestra to Bolivia. Also featured: Rodolfo Dávalos of the Law School of the University of Havana, who works on the legal struggle of the Cuban Five; Katrien DeMuynck, coordinator of the Belgian Free the Five Committee; and Gloria La Riva, coordinator of the U.S. National Committee to Free the Five Cuban Political Prisoners. Beautiful wall-sized political art with a Cuban revolutionary theme, produced by young artists of the sponsoring organization, adorned the halls at Saint Louis University. Iniciativa Cuba Socialista holds this annual conference in homage to Che Guevara, who was captured by the Bolivian army on Oct. 8, 1967, and murdered the next day on orders from the CIA. The U.S. imperialists wanted to eliminate Che Guevara, who by his example in the Cuban Revolution and support for people's struggles in Latin America, Africa and Asia, was inspiring many to act against imperialism. Instead, Che has become an even greater symbol and inspiration for all oppressed peoples struggling for liberation. Several workshops were held during the day. A cultural- political forum took place at night. THE CUBAN FIVE In the workshop on the Cuban Five, Rodolfo Davalos described how the U.S. prosecuted the five political prisoners because they defended Cuba. The Cuban Five, he said, "are five young men: a pilot, an engineer, an economist, two who graduated from diplomatic school. Two of them are U.S. citizens. What did they do? They penetrated counter-revolutionary terrorist organizations in Miami. Their work was not to learn any military information of the U.S., as the U.S. claims. It was simply to learn the plans of the terrorists: When would they plant bombs, when would they try to assassinate? "Cuba has suffered terrorist attacks for more than 40 years. Not just the Bay of Pigs invasion, nor the nuclear danger of the Cuban Missile Crisis, not just the bombing of the Cubana flight in 1976 or the hemorrhagic dengue biological attack. It goes on even today." While in Belgium, Davalos spoke to progressive lawyers' associations on the case of the Five. He reported that the attorneys responded with a willingness to "do whatever is necessary to raise international legal support" for the appeals and their freedom. DEMUYNCK AND LA RIVA WERE ALSO ON THE PANEL. The conference room in which Harry "Pombo" Villegas spoke was packed with admirers who wanted to hear of his experiences as a guerrilla fighter in Cuba's Revolution and as a fellow combatant with Che in the Congo and Bolivia. Villegas began his life in the struggle at 14, soon after the 1952 coup by U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. He became involved in the urban underground movement and joined the guerrillas in the Sierra Maestra. In a Brussels interview with Workers World, he said of Che: "He was an extraordinarily humane person, extraordinarily just, with a great sense of honor, sensitivity and responsibility. In his military activity and character, he was a very disciplined man, very demanding and brave. He lived the principle of not demanding of his soldiers what he himself was not capable of undertaking. "This gave him a great authority among the guerrilla troops, which assured that his men followed him with absolute confidence," he said. The evening forum on the five Cuban heroes was marked by poetry by Antonio Guerrero--one of the Cuban Five, along with inspiring music, a video on their case, and talks by DeMuynck, Villegas and La Riva. 'IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHE' Katrien DeMuynck said the five Cuban political prisoners held in the United States are the heroes of the current era, following in the example of Che's sacrifice and love for humanity. She said: "Cuba has the right to protect itself against terror. With that goal some courageous young men risked their lives to infiltrate terrorist organizations of anti-Castro Cubans in Miami. They gave to Cuba the information that permitted it to prevent terrorist attacks. Four years ago, five of them were arrested in Miami. "Five young people who, walking in the footsteps of Che, sacrificed their own lives in the service of their people. Ramón, Antonio, Fernando, Gerardo and Rene are the heroes of this time. In the struggle against war, they are in the vanguard." She quoted Ramon Labanino in his letter to supporters of the five: "With special interest, we witness that a beautiful process of UNITY among progressive, left, working-class and poor movements, and even with honorable people from different backgrounds who believe in justice and truth, is taking place. "This is an ideal moment to get together, to unite all our forces, to fight against the real enemy of our peoples: Imperialism, originator of wars, destruction and crimes, which is destroying our planet. The people of the world deserve and need a better future. UNITED, we can make that dream come true. "If our sacrifice and modest efforts help in any possible way to reach this dream, we will be honored! Count on us, as your brothers, in defending the good causes of the World." LA RIVA: 'ALL OUT OCT. 26' La Riva spoke of the growing war danger and the need for mass mobilizations around the world on Oct. 26. A peace race is being organized at Flanders for that day; a big turnout is expected. "The Bush administration is furiously mobilizing troops, its armada and the largest array of weapons of mass destruction ever seen in history to wage a genocidal war against Iraq," La Riva said. "The faint opposition by politicians in the United States is only a difference in tactics with Bush, Cheney and the ultra- right. They do not differ on the objective of annihilating the Iraqi government and people in order to take over Iraq and its resources and more completely dominate the Middle East. In the days and weeks ahead, we must use every opportunity to mobilize, organize, march, demonstrate, conduct civil disobedience, and fight to stop the war before it starts." She emphasized that the unity and coordination of Free the Five support committees around the world will be the best way to bring political pressure on the U.S. government to release the five Cuban heroes from prison. "Just like the fight to stop the war in Iraq, we must appeal to the people, yes, especially the people of the United States, to know, to understand and to help free them. Why? Because we truly believe that once the people of the U.S. and the world know of the existence and motives of the heroic five, they will demand their freedom, too." More than 1,500 signatures for the Free the Five petition were gathered by the Iniciativa Cuba Socialista and handed over to the U.S. committee to cap the political presentation. Then hundreds of people filled the hall downstairs for a lively salsa dance. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Support the voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
