New Mexico governor in Cuba, may seek release of U.S. contractor

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Miami Herald

New Mexico governor in Cuba, may seek release of U.S. contractor
BY JUAN O. TAMAYO
[e-mail]

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who won the release of three Cuban political prisoners during a 1996 visit, was in Havana again Monday to lead a trade mission.

A senior Obama administration official said U.S. officials also expect Richardson to press Cuba to free Alan Gross, a U.S. government subcontractor jailed there for almost nine months.

Richardson ``traveled to Havana, Cuba, as part of a mission to strengthen potential trade and cultural partnerships between New Mexico and Cuba,'' his office said in a statement issued Sunday.

~snip~

Gross was arrested Dec. 3 in Havana after delivering satellite communications equipment to the island's tiny Jewish community. He has not been officially charged, but Cuban officials have linked him to U.S. intelligence activities in their public comments on the case.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/23/1788246/new-mexico-governor-in-cuba-may.html

[Warpy]

1. If anyone can get that contractor released, it's Richardson

He can charm the birds out of the trees.

Even Stupid's administration had to admit he was the only one who could manage to talk to the North Koreans and get anything done.

[flamingdem]

2. However there is the issue of making a trade for the Cuban 5

who are being held unjustly in the USA ... and why would the Cuban govt. give up that chip?

[Judi Lynn]

3. They should have been retried as soon as the Appeals Court overturned that bogus conviction.

Instead the government kept pushing until they got the courts to finally cough up a reinstatement of a completely bogus judgement obtained in a hostile courtroom in Miami.

From Democracy Now:

It is being called a historic decision in the case of the Cuba 5-five men hailed in Cuba as heroes and labeled spies by the US government. On Tuesday, a federal appellate court in Atlanta overturned their convictions and ordered a new trial. The five were accused of spying for Cuba. In its ruling, the Court said the men could not get a fair trial in the right-wing Cuban exile stronghold of Miami.

In 1998, Ruben Campa, Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Luis Medina and Antonio Guerrero were arrested in Florida and were tried and convicted of espionage, conspiracy and related charges. They were accused of spying on Cuban-American exile leaders and U.S. military bases and convicted in December of 2001. Gerardo Hernandez was also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder for engineering the shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996. Brothers to the Rescue is a violent anti-Castro, Cuban exile group that has regularly attacked the island nation.

The five spent almost three years in jail between their arrest and the beginning of their trial. Three of the men were given life sentences while the other two were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Yesterday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the convictions and essentially agreed with the defense that bias in Miami against Cuban President Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution stopped the defendants from getting a fair trial. In its ninety-three page opinion, the court wrote, "The entire community is sensitive to and permeated by concerns for the Cuban exile population in Miami. A new trial was mandated by the perfect storm created when the surge of pervasive community sentiment and extensive publicity both before and during the trial merged with the improper prosecutorial references."

Excellent interview with Amy Goodwin and attorney for the Cuban prisoners.

It should be known by EVERYONE that 5 U.S. generals all testified these men did NOT attempt to spy on the U.S. government itself.
Their comments were completely drowned out by the hardliner "exiles" hysteria, pandemonium during the trial.

Superior comments from Leonard Weinglass, the atorney:
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/8/10/landmark_decision_overturns_cuba_5_convictions

[Judi Lynn]

4. Richardson opinion, Washington Post, 8-14-10: Time for Western Hemisphere countries to collaborate

Time for Western Hemisphere countries to collaborate
By Bill Richardson
Saturday, August 14, 2010

Arizona's attempt to create and enforce its own immigration policy has once again amplified -- and politicized -- the immigration debate in this country. But the fallout of that debate extends beyond our borders. The anti-immigrant push in Arizona has further alienated our neighbors throughout Latin America, who had been hoping for better relations with the United States after President Obama's election. We need to turn this opportunity to our advantage and engage with our neighbors throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Latin America has perhaps the greatest impact, in terms of trade and culture, on the daily lives of most Americans. U.S. exports to Latin America have grown faster in the past 11 years than to any other region, including Asia. Hispanics represent the biggest ethnic and most sought-after voting bloc in the United States. And nearly every country in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean now has a democratically elected government.

The time is right to leverage our trade and partnerships and advance a more collaborative relationship with our neighbors to the south. The Obama administration should consider these five steps:

-- First, it should aggressively lobby Congress for a comprehensive immigration law. Such legislation would include increased border security; a crackdown on illegal hires; and an accountable path to legalization that requires the 11 million immigrants here illegally to learn English, pass a background check, pay fines and get in line behind those who are trying to enter our country legally. Illegal immigrants come to our country from Central and South America and the Caribbean. This is not just an issue with Mexico; it is a hemispheric issue that needs a comprehensive response.

-- Second, as a first step to changing our policy toward Cuba, the president should issue an executive order to lift as much of the travel ban as possible. The travel ban penalizes U.S. businesses, lowers our credibility in Latin America and fuels anti-U.S. propaganda. Lifting the ban would also be a reciprocal gesture for Cuba's recent agreement, negotiated among the Catholic Church, the Spanish government and President Ra?l Castro, to release political dissidents. Obama has taken significant steps to loosen restrictions on family travel, remove limits for remittance and expand cooperation in other areas such as expanding the export of humanitarian goods from the United States into Cuba. Loosening travel restrictions is in U.S. interests and would be a bold move toward normalization of relations with Cuba.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081304982.html