Resolutions on Posada and on the Five approved at the Congreso Latino in Los Angeles
Oct. 6, 2007
Resolution 6.02 - Resolution on Luis Posada Carriles
This Resolution was Approved by the National Latino Congreso on Day Two Saturday October 6th
Whereas, Cuba has been the target of terrorist activities directed from the United States of America for over 47 years that have caused 3,478 deaths, 2,099 injuries and millions of dollars in losses for the Cuban economy; and
Whereas, Luis Posada Carriles, a citizen of Cuban origin and nationalized Venezuelan, was recruited and trained by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) in order to participate in terrorist actions against the Cuban people and properties; and
Whereas, Luis Posada Carriles, together with Orlando Bosch were the masterminds of the 1976 bombing of flight 455 of Cubana de Aviacion killing 73 people on board, including members of the Cuban national fencing team, and that they have been involved in many other violent actions that have affected citizens not only from Cuba, but also Latin America, the Caribbean and even the United States; and
Whereas, in May, 2007, the Department of Justice of the United States set free Luis Posada Carriles, who now lives freely in Miami; and
Whereas, Luis Posada Carriles is a fugitive of Venezuelan justice and that the Venezuelan Government has demanded his extradition so that he may face charges related to the downing of Cubana flight 455 in 1976; and
Whereas, the United States, when setting free terrorist Luis Posada Carriles violated Resolution 1373 of the Security Council of the United Nations and also international treaties of which the United States is a signatory;
1. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the organizations represented by delegates of the 2007 National Latino Congreso demand that the government of the United States of America immediately extradite Luis Posada Carriles to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order for him to be judged for the acts of terrorism which he committed.
Resolution 6.10 - Resolution on the Five Cuban Political Prisoners
This Resolution was Approved by the National Latino Congreso on Day Two Saturday October 6th
Whereas, Cuba has been the target of terrorist activities directed from the United States of America for over 47 years that have caused 3,478 deaths, 2,099 injuries and millions of dollars in losses for the Cuban economy; and
Whereas, a great number of terrorist attacks have been carried out against Cuba, including against civilian installations, economic and tourist targets, which were organized by criminal Cuban-American groups based in South Florida; and
Whereas, Cuba has repeatedly requested that the government of the United States take measures in order to put an end to such attacks; and
Whereas, a state of necessity led the Cuban government to send a group of men to South Florida with the aim of infiltrating and monitoring the aforementioned terrorist organizations in order to detect and avoid such actions; and
Whereas, the government of the United States, instead of acting to prevent future terrorist attacks with information gathered by the Cuban Five accused the men of multiple crimes never committed and submitted them to a trial held in Miami, where these men had no possibility of the right to a fair process due to the prejudice against Cuba existing in that community; and
Whereas, Fernando González, Ramón Labañino, Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero and René González neither had firearms, nor afflicted any civil, economic, political, military objectives, nor the National Security of the United States; and
Whereas, their rights were violated since the moment of their detention on September 12, 1998, subjected to solitary confinement during 17 months and were condemned to four life sentences, plus 77 years collectively for non-judicially proven crimes; and
Whereas, a panel of three judges revoked their sentences, ordering a new trial and that the Group of Arbitrary Detentions of the United Nations declared their detentions illegal and expressly requested that the government of the United States put an end to their detentions; and
Whereas, Amnesty International has denounced as a “grave violation” the government of the United States’ refusal to grant visas to Adriana Pérez and Olga Salanueva for the past seven years, these women being the wives of Gerardo Hernández and René González, respectively; and
Whereas, these five men, acting in defense of the lives of Cuban, U.S. and third-country citizens, have offered their lives to the world fight against terrorism;
1. Therefore Be It Resolved, that the National Latino Congreso demands the immediate release of Fernando González, Ramón Labañino, Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero and René González, also known as the Cuban Five, who are political prisoners held in the United States, and
2. Be It Further Resolved, that the National Latino Congreso demands that until these men are freed the government of the United States must comply with its obligations under international law to allow the right of regular visits to all of the prisoners’ relatives, including the immediate granting of humanitarian visas to Adriana Pérez and to Olga Salanueva in order that they may visit their husbands Gerardo Hernández and René González, respectively. |
