Rene Gonzalez, one of a group called the “Cuban 5,” spoke today from Cuba at a news conference in Washington D.C. by phone for the first time. Gonzalez said that while the case involving himself and four other Cubans was well known in much of the world, “the American people, who were supposed to be the victims of our crimes” remained largely unaware of the case. The men were convicted of a series of crimes including conspiracy to commit espionage and conspiracy to commit murder.

“We still have four men in prison” said Gonzalez “doing long sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. … It is a shame to the U.S. and to the legal system.” [Audio]

The Institute for Policy Studies, one of the groups organizing the news conference today, released a statement: “Rene Gonzalez, one of the Cuban 5, was released in October 2011 but had to remain in the U.S. for three more years under supervised probation. Just recently, in a two-week authorized visit, due to the death of his father, Gonzalez was allowed to stay in Cuba after renouncing his U.S. citizenship. Incarcerated since 1998, the internationally known Cuban 5 came to this country in the 1990’s to monitor the activities of right-wing anti-Cuba groups responsible for carrying out terrorist acts against Cuba that have resulted in the deaths of close to 3,500 people since 1959. The other four remain in U.S. prison.”

There are events and actions going on in Washington, D.C. for the next several days. See: thecuban5.org.

The following analysts, knowledgeable about the case, are among those speaking at events and are available for interviews:

Ignacio Ramonet, Spanish writer and former editor-in-chief of Le Monde Diplomatique, author of 100 Hours with Fidel
Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2012
Wayne Smith, former chief of U.S. interests section in Havana during Carter administration; currently senior fellow at Center for International Policy
Saul Landau, director of the film “Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up?” about the Cuban 5.

For interviews, contact: Netfa Freeman, netfa at ips-dc.org or Lacy MacAuley, lacy at ips-dc.org