Havana, Jun 18 (Prensa Latina) Cuba reiterated its disposition to look -together with the representatives of the US- for a solution of the case of US citizen Alan Gross, in prison in Cuba, and the three Cuban anti-terrorist fighters still in US prisons, forming part of the group known in the world as the The Cuban Five. “We have gotten the news about the death of Evelyn Gross, mother of Alan Gross, who is serving a prison term in Cuba,” said a statement by Cuba’s Foreign Ministry (MINREX) US Department general director Josefina Vidal, published in Havana.
“We wish to express our deepest condolesces to Alan’s family,” said the text of the statement.
Vidal said that to clarify doubts of people asking for the reasons why Alan Gross could not visit his mother in the US, she said that neither the Cuban nor the US penitentiary systems include the possibility that sentenced people have the chance to travel abroad.
“It is needed to say, that when Carmen Nordelo, mother of Gerardo Hernandez -one of the Cuban Five in prison in the US- died, Gerardo could not get the authorization to travel to Cuba and say good bye to her,” the statement said.
Gerardo, together with Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, were arrested in the US national territory in September 1998 and sentenced to long penal sentences.
Fernando and Rene are already in Cuba after they served their sentences.
“In the case of Ramon, Antonio y Gerardo, there are other humanitarian aspects, which cannot be sidelined. During 16 years, they have been separated from their relatives and parents, and have stopped from seeing their children grow. This situation could have been avoided,” she said.
“We reiterate the disposition of Cuba to look for a solution, together with the US, to the cases of Gross, Gerardo, Antonio and Ramon, which can be acceptable for Cuba and the US,” she concluded.
