The Cuban 5, Alan Gross, US Blockade: What you need to know

A mural showing the five Cuban agents arrested by the United States in 2001 is seen in front of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana in a June 2009 | Photo: Reuters

The frosty relationship between the United States and Cuba radically changed its course today, as both sides announced the release of prisoners, while the U.S. looked set to shake up its embargo. Here we look at the key players and events that contributed to the historical switch.

The Cuban Five
The Cuban Five were imprisoned in the U.S. in 1998 and sentenced in 2001, accused of espionage against the United States. They were monitoring Miami-based terrorist groups plotting to attack Cuba.

Many countries called for the release of the three members of the Five – as the antiterrorist are widely known – , who were still in jail, at this year’s U.N. General Assembly, where 188 out of 193 countries again voted overwhelmingly for an end to the U.S. blockade on Cuba.

Since the trial new evidence has emerged, further exonerating the Five, of journalists being paid to plant prejudicial stories against the accused.

One of the five, Fernando Gonzalez was released after finishing his prison sentence in February of this year. Another member of the Cuban Five, Rene Gonzalez was released in 2013. The three who remained imprisoned were Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino and Antonio Guerrero.

Alan Gross
U.S. citizen Alan Gross was imprisoned in Cuba for his role in a covert U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) mission against the Cuban government.

The subcontractor was jailed in 2009 when he was working on a secretive program to expand Internet access in Cuba. As an employee for Development Alternatives Inc., which had a contract with the USAID, Gross had "traveled to Havana five times in 2009, posing as a tourist, to smuggle communications equipment," according to the New York Times. Cuba put Gross on trial in 2011, found him guilty and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for acts against the integrity of the state.

In recent weeks, two U.S. senators met with Gross and said that they were optimistic that Gross, who has threatened to suicide, would be freed, in part because of information exposed last week in an AP investigation, which revealed that self-proclaimed “pro-democracy” organization USAID will no longer undertake covert operations in hostile countries.

"There's been a realization and a statement that there won't be covert programs run out of AID anymore and that's a good thing," said US Senator Flake, who is opposed to the U.S. blockade on Cuba. "It's not just a source of tension between countries; it puts Americans in danger and it really cheapens AID's mission around the world, in my view."

USAID
After being expelled from numerous Latin American countries for dubious activity, the U.S. organization USAID has developed a reputation of an organization that while providing aid it is also developing ways to undermine governments in a number of the continent’s countries.

According to their website, USAID's mission is “furthering America's interests, while improving lives in the developing world.” However in practice, they may well be furthering the United States interests, but not by improving lives in the developing world but by supporting the activities of groups that are opposed to democratically elected governments.

The most recent damning, if not absurd revelation, is USAID's confirmation that it financed a four-year program to infiltrate Cuba's underground rap music scene, in an attempt to undermine the government.

Other projects include an attempt to create a “Cuban Twitter,” for the same ends.

On Wednesday, coinciding with the release of the Cuban prisoners and Alan Gross, USAID administrator announced his resignation. Rajiv Shah said, “As we ensure a smooth transition in leadership, I am more confident than ever in the lasting effect of our work to enrich lives and change our world for the better.”

Free the Five Campaign
In recent years the clamor has grown for the release of the Five, with several high profile campaigns both from within Cuba, the U.S. and around the globe. Led by the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, efforts stepped up in September this year, with pickets and campaigns, climaxing in a worldwide demonstration Sept. 12, to mark the 16th anniversary of the capture Rene Gonzales, who was released this year. Protesters stood in front of the White House for hours, demanding the president to release the prisoners. Social media buzzed with the hashtags #freethefive and, in Spanish, #loscinco, as people across the world stood in solidarity with the falsely persecuted Cubans.

Blockade
As well as the release of the Cuban and U.S. prisoners, the altered stance on the U.S. embargo is a further sign that the diplomatic relations are radically changing. "We are charting a new course toward Cuba" an official told CNN. "The president understood the time is right to attempt a new approach."

The U.S. blockade on Cuba is a hangover from the Cold War. Imposed in the 1960s, the blockade was a backlash to the Cuban Revolution and a strident attempt to overthrow it. Today the blockade is the longest and toughest system of sanctions ever applied against any country in modern history. Cuba is still prevented from freely exporting or importing from the U.S. or with any subsidiaries of U.S. companies in third countries. U.S. sanctions are also imposed on other countries trading with Cuba and even financial aid is restricted.

The punishing restrictions curb Cuban's access to food, education and medical equipment. A Cuban doctor recently told Reuters that US restrictions on certain medical equipment "impede the acquisition of products that literally signify the difference between life and death.

Source URL