Rene: U.S. Government Imprisoned us to Protect Terrorism

The Cuban antiterrorist Rene Gonzalez said in Havana that his priority will be to fight for the freedom of his four comrades still imprisoned in the United States after 14 years.

“Once we have the supervised release regularized, we must find the way to join that battle and do the best so that this injustice ends and they come back to us”, said Gonzalez  in statements to media.

Rene was arrested in 1998 along with Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando Gonzalez for fighting terrorism in Miami.

The antiterrorist fighter began on Monday the process to renounce to the U.S. citizenship, a requirement set by the authorities of that country to modify the conditions of the supervised release he was to comply with after his freedom from prison on October 2011.

When alluding to his presence on this island, he said to be happy with the affection of the people and that for his “brothers, this meant a small glimmer of hope, a joy they receive in prison.”

“The image of the union of my family is a hope for them, as they view something that can be possible,” he added.

He also lamented that the catalyst for this to happen was the death of his father, because he was allowed to travel to Cuba last April on a private and family visit after the decease.

Rene thanked the overwhelming generosity shown by those born in the Caribbean country and around the world about the cause of the Cuban Five, as they are known worldwide, and said that the letters sent to them were a great support.

I had the opportunity to walk the streets of Cuba and see the solidarity of everyone, and the only way to be reciprocal to that is to fully commit with my people; for them I just gave up the citizenship of the empire (the United States), because I am a patriot and I feel identified with our project, said Rene.

Concerning the current reality of this nation, he said that its inhabitants still have the same essence.

I’m happy because we’ve been through tough times, but Cubans maintain that solidarity, that spirit which impacts us and gives us hope, he said.

Rene explains process to remain in Cuba

The Cuban antiterrorist Rene Gonzalez explained that presenting the request to renounce to the U.S. citizenship is just the beginning of the legal process in order to remain in his homeland, as a modification to the conditions of his supervised release.

The acceptance of Judge Joan Lenard that I can stay in Cuba if I give up my U.S. citizenship is not the end, told Rene to Prensa Latina; we still have to work on legal matters, and submit the application to the US Section of Interests in Havana, which is the first step.

” I have to sign a document they prepare from my application, and then it is up to the U.S. government, for they must issue a Certificate of Loss of Citizenship, after which I would only be a Cuban citizen”, explained Gonzalez.

At a press conference, Rene Gonzalez urged the U.S. President Barack Obama, to have courage and to grant a pardon, as he has the power to do so.

On the other hand, he considered that the international campaign for the release of the Cuban antiterrorists lacks one thing: to reach the American public.

“In these years we have managed to unite wills worldwide and we have strong friends who convey our message, but it is the American people who have to hear the case and know that the Government put us in prison for protecting terrorism,” said Rene.

In this regard, he noted, the judge once told me that terrorism is bad, but I did not have the right to fight it, that I had to leave them alone and do not approach them.

With respect to the legal process of the case, Gonzalez said it was hard even from the capture, as they used maximum rigor to force them to give up.

Jail was another tough proof, he added, and we faced it with the resources we had, I exercising and reading, Tony communicating all the time, Ramon with sports, and Fernando and Gerardo with that humor that rises even in tragedy.

“However we can not forget that Gerardo faces the possibility of dying in prison,” he said, recalling that he is serving two life sentences plus 15 years.

Rene said that the most important thing is to know that they are going to resist and fight must continue to secure the release of all.

TRANSLATION BY ESCAMBRAY