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US Lawyer Exposes US-paid Media Campaign against the Five
HAVANA,
Cuba, Sept 11 (ACN) US attorney Martin Garbus exposed in
details how Washington paid journalists from several US
media outlets to mount a campaign in Miami to guarantee that
the five Cuban antiterrorist fighters, held for 14 years in
that country, were convicted during a trial held in 2001.
According to PL news agency, Garbus told ABC National Radio
that federal authorities gave large amounts of money to
reporters with CBS, The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, the
Diario de las Americas, Radio and TV Marti and WAQI radio,
among other media for a covert action aimed at manipulating
public opinion against Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez,
Ramon Labanino, Fernando Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero.
Four of the five anti-terrorists, internationally known as
the Cuban Five, are currently serving severe prison
sentences after they monitored Florida-based violent
organizations, which have hatched and carried out terrorist
actions agaisnt the island over the past five decades. Such
violent attempts have left over 3 400 victims in Cuba.
A fifth Cuban, Rene Gonzalez, was released from prision
October 7, 2011, after he met a 13-year sentence. But, he
was forced to remain under three-year probation in the city
of Miami, cradle of ultra-right anti Cuba organizations.
The US lawyer said that between 1998 and 2001, public
opinion in Miami was bombarded with media propaganda against
the Five, as US authorities paid the journalists to persuade
the jury and interfere with the legal process.
Such operation translated into at least 1 000 articles and
other information pursuing a negative impact on the trial
and against the defendants in order to guarantee their
conviction, said the lawyer.
Garbus, who is part of the defense team for the Cuban Five,
also addressed legal actions aimed at achieving a hearing
and having the government release unpublished documents
relevant to the legal process.
The US lawyer is considered one of the most important
professionals in his country. He is a prestigious university
professor and has written several books on legal issues.
“Authorities with your government have full knowledge of
this action,” reads the letter addressed to the US
ambassador to Chile.
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