Washington, DC, May 30-June 5, 2013: Five Days for the Five

Join us in Washington DC to add your voice along with Angela Davis, longtime activist and scholar; Father Miguel D'Escoto, former Foreign Minister of Nicaragua, President of the 63rd UN General Assembly 2008-09; Ignacio Raimonet, journalist based in France, editor-in-Chief of Le Monde Diplomatique 1991-2008; Dolores Huerta, co founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW); Fernando Morais, former Brazilian parliamentarian, author of best seller "Olga" and "The Last Soldiers of the Cold War"; Danny Glover, actor and activist; Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA; María Leon, former Minister of Women Affairs, National Assembly delegate of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Saul Landau, filmmaker and author; Martin Garbus, U.S. lawyer and member of the legal team of the Cuban Five; Wayne Smith, former Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba, and many others.

In recent weeks, the interest of a change in U.S. policy towards Cuba has been appearing in the most important media in the United States. One of the pivotal points in this widening discussion is to find a solution to the case of the Cuban Five, prisoners held in the United States for 15 years.

To be part of the dialogue, we are inviting friends in solidarity with Cuba and people of good will from the US and from abroad to be part of a series of actions that will take place in Washington DC from May 30 to June 5.

So far a number of parliamentarians, lawyers, trade unionists, activists and supporters of the Cuban Five from all over the world and the United States have confirmed their participation. The following is a preliminary agenda that will be updated as we receive more confirmations.

AGENDA

Thursday May 30

9am: Press Conference. Father Miguel D’Escoto, Wayne Smith and other guests. Place: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC.

All day long: Booth with information about the Cuban 5 at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) conference. Place: Washington Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road NW, Washington, DC.

3pm: Welcoming and orientation meeting for the 5 Days for the Cuban 5 participants, (Place TBA)

Friday May 31

All day long: Booth with information about the Cuban 5 at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) conference. Place: Washington Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road NW, Washington, DC.

7pm: Private Reception

Saturday June 1st

1pm: Rally in front of the White House. So far buses are being organized from New York City and Quebec. An important delegation of Cubans living in Miami have confirmed their participation as well as people from Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, and other cities across the United States.

6pm: Ecumenical-Cultural Event. Angela Davis, Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, Father Miguel D’Escoto, Father Luis Barrios, Maria León, Members of the Cuban Council of Churches, Nancy Morejon. Also the DC Labor Chorus. Place: Saint Stephen Church, 1525 Newton St. Washington DC.

Sunday June 2

11am: Community Event. Gathering at 11am in downtown Takoma Park (between Carol Ave and Laurel) to walk back to Casa Rutilio, 102 Park Ave, Takoma Park for a community event at 1:00pm. This event is organized by the Takoma Park Free the Cuban 5 Committee and endorsed by the DC Metro Coalition to free the Five and the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5.

6pm: Hip Hop Cultural Event with Head Roc and Cuban group Doble Filo (Place TBA)

Monday June 3

9am: Lobby activities. Members of Parliaments from other countries who have confirmed their participation: Father Miguel D’Escoto (Nicaragua) María León (Venezuela), Yeidckol Polevensky (former Vice President of the Mexican Senate), Nidia Díaz (El Salvador), Noam Paech (Germany) Miguel D’Escoto Brockman, Pres. of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, Heike Hänsel (Germany) Sevim Dagdeln, (Germany), Gianni Vattimo, (Italy)

11:00: Meeting with attorneys and jurists from the US and abroad. Convened by Martin Garbus, attorney of the legal team of the Cuban 5 with the presence of lawyers from the US and abroad. Sponsored by the National Lawyers Guild, Place: Georgetown Legal Center, 600 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

6pm: Meeting of labor with the presence of US and abroad Rank and files members. Place: Postal Service Union Hall, 6139 Chillum Place NE, Washington, DC. Special Guest: Dolores Huerta

7pm: Panel of intellectuals, Ignacio Ramonet, Saúl Landau, Salim Lamrani, Miguel Barnet, and Jane Franklin. Place: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street, NW.

Tuesday June 4

9am: Lobby activities continue

11:00am: Reception at Capitol Hill hosted by a US congressman to welcome the Parliamentarians from other countries (Place TBA)

6pm: Presentation of new books on the Cuban 5 and Cuba, Fernando Morais, Arnold August and Stephen Kimber, with special guest Danny Glover. Celebration of Gerardo Hernandez’s birthday. Place: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street, NW

Wednesday June 5

9am: Lobby Activities Continue

5pm: Closing event: including 1) a Plenary Session and 2) Videoconference to connect with the family of the Cuban Five. Father Miguel D’Escoto, Dolores Huerta, Maria León, Fernando Morais, Ignacio Ramonet. Place: Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela- Bolivarian Hall, 2443 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

"Five Days for the Five" was initiated by the International Committee to Free the Cuban Five and has been endorsed by numerous groups including the National Network on Cuba, the National Lawyers Guild, the ANSWER Coalition, and the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five. To add your organization's endorsement, email apoyojornada@gmail.com. Contact us at info@freethefive.org or by phone at 415-821-6545 if you want to learn more or get involved.

New York, NY, June 8, 2013: A changing Cuba, a stagnant America strategy and the continuing plight of the Cuban Five

Date: Saturday, June 8, 2013
Location: Left Forum, Pace University, Room E323
Time: 03:40pm - 05:20pm

Focusing in on the reforms that have taken place in Cuba the past months, the panel will examine the rationale for the United States determination to continue its half-century of siege against the island, utilizing the enduring condition of the Cuban Five as a prevailing example of American intransigence. The five Cuban agents were sent to Florida to infiltrate anti-revolutionary terrorist organizations. Arrested then jailed to long sentences as a result of a series of widely condemned trials, a range of high-profile politicians and personalities have joined the world-wide campaign to free the Five and bring attention to their plight. Discussion will revolve on the Five and the static relationship between the two countries, in context to the major economic and political reforms taking place in Cuba. While these changes are having a major impact on Cuban society, the United States continues to diminish or deny what is taking place. American strategy of regime change continues, and the Cuban Five remain an important piece of that policy as US officials refuse to discuss the possibility of their return.

Tentative panelists include:

• Stephen Kimber, author of upcoming Cuban Five book and professor at University of Kings College
• Peter Roman, professor, Hostos Community College, CUNY Graduate Center
• Gloria La Riva, coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five
• Keith Bolender, author and University of Toronto lecturer.

Click here to see information about events already held