[Pnews] Remaining 3 of Cuban 5 political prisoners released in swap

[Prisoner News]

*http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/17/politics/cuba-alan-gross-deal/?hpt=hp_t1
*


  Cuba releases American Alan Gross in prisoner swap

By *Elise Labott*, CNN Global Affairs Correspondent
December 17, 2014

*Washington (CNN)* -- U.S. contractor Alan Gross 
<http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/03/world/americas/cuba-alan-gross/index.html>, 
held by the Cuban government 
<http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/14/world/americas/cuba-fast-facts/index.html> since 
2009, was freed Wednesday as part of a landmark deal with Cuba 
<http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/07/world/americas/united-states-cuba-relations/index.html> 
that paves the way for a major overhaul in U.S. policy toward the 
island, senior administration officials tell CNN.

President Barack Obama is expected to announce Gross' release at noon in 
Washington. At around the same time, Cuban president Raul Castro will 
speak about it in Havana.

Gross' "humanitarian" release by Cuba was accompanied by a separate spy 
swap, the officials said. Cuba also freed a U.S. intelligence source who 
has been jailed in Cuba for more than 20 years, although authorities did 
not identify that person for security reasons. The U.S. released three 
Cuban intelligence agents convicted of espionage in 2001.

******************
The three Cubans released as a part of the deal belonged the so-called 
Cuban Five, a quintet of Cuban intelligence officers convicted in 2001 
for espionage. They were part of what was called the Wasp Network, which 
collected intelligence on prominent Cuban-American exile leaders and 
U.S. military bases.

The leader of the five, Gerardo Hernandez, was linked to the February 
1996 downing of the two civilian planes operated by the U.S.-based 
dissident group Brothers to the Rescue, in which four men died. He is 
serving a two life sentences. Luis Medina, also known as Ramon Labanino; 
and Antonio Guerrero have just a few years left on their sentences.

The remaining two -- Rene Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez -- were 
released after serving most of their 15-year sentences and have already 
returned to Cuba, where they were hailed as heroes.

Wednesday's announcement that the U.S. will move toward restoring 
diplomatic ties with Cuba will also make it easier for Americans to 
travel to Cuba and do business with the Cuban people by extending 
general licenses, officials said. While the more liberal travel 
restrictions won't allow for tourism, they will permit greater American 
travel to the island.

-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/ppnews_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20141217/e149b963/attachment.htm>