US denies Cuban Five Access to Books

One of the Cuban revolution's most admirable qualities demonstrated for
most of its history is its relentlessly non- and really ANTI-sectarian way of
approaching so many issues. This news release, from ACN, which stands
for Agencia Cubana de Noticias, exemplifies this admirable Cuban way.


The Fredrick Engels Foundation are leading international publishers of the
writings of Ted Grant, Alan Woods, Leon Trotsky and others in Spanish and
have regularly held book tables at the Havana Book Fair in recent years.
There is also a Cuban edition of two of the books by Grant and Woods.
Celia Hart has often supported and participated in their book launchings.


Here's a report on their participation in this year's book fair which,
regrettably, I was unable to attend having had to return to Disneylandia:
http://www.marxist.com/trotsky-havana-book-fair230206.htm


Those annual Havana book fairs are something everyone who has any
interest in Cuba would find endlessly interesting. I'm never myself able
to see it all in one single day. It's mind-numbing cornucopia of mostly
very find books. Some foreign publishers of let books, such as the U.S.
Pathfinder and the Australian-based Ocean Press, have long participated.


Here is the Engels Foundation website: http://www.engels.org/



Walter Lippmann
CubaNews
==================================================


US Denies Cuban Five Access to Books


Havana, Oct 12 (ACN) The Spain-based Frederick Engels Foundation denounced
US penitentiary authorities Thursday for prohibiting the Cuban Five
anti-terrorist fighters from access to books published by the group.


Foundation president Juan Ignacio Ramos said that although all legal
regulations have been met Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio
Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, known as the Cuban Five,
are being denied access to the books.


Sending books to the Cuban Five, held in five different US prisons,
particularly Marxist literature, is part of solidarity actions carried out
by the foundation and SpainÂ’s Student Union.


In responding to the support by the Spanish groups, the Cuban Five have sent
both entities letters expressing their gratitude and their determination to
remain firm despite the arbitrary and cruel US government actions, said
Ramos.


Fernando Gonzalez stressed in his letter the importance of the Engels
Foundation distributing socialist literature in todayÂ’s complex and
contradictory world, and particularly when new doors are opening for radical
social transformations, PL news reported.


The five Cubans were arrested in September 1998 after they had infiltrated
Florida-based ultra-right organizations that have committed terrorist
actions against the island for the past 40 years. They were handed down
harsh sentences after a biased Miami trial in a politically charge
atmosphere.


The men are considered national heroes on the island and an international
campaign for their release continues to gain momentum around the globe.