Demand the freedom of Oscar López Rivera, Puerto Rican political prisoner who has been in U.S. prison for more than three decades; Support the just struggle for the Independence of Puerto Rico.

To Friends of Socialist, Revolutionary and Sovereign Cuba

International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity to the Peoples

July 3, 2015

December 17 marked an historic day with the return of Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino and Antonio Guerrero, three of the Five Cuban Patriots imprisoned in the United States for more than 16 years, and with the announcement of the expressed intention to restore relations between Cuba and the United States.

After seven months of high level talks between both parties, Presidents Raúl Castro and Barack Obama announced this July 1 the restoration of the diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana on July 20.

In an exchange of letters between both Presidents, they indicated that they were guided by the intention to develop respectful relationships of cooperation between both peoples and governments, based on the principles and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations, International Law and the Vienna Convention on diplomatic and consular relations. See Letters

This important step forward also marks the successful completion of the first stage of this complex and difficult road towards the normalization of relations.

We salute the efforts made by both sides. But we applaud socialist, revolutionary and sovereign Cuba much more for arriving at this point without giving up a single principle or an ounce of its sovereignty. Cuba has not had to compromise its international solidarity that has been at the fiber of its glorious history despite having to endure the longest genocidal blockade in history, more than 600 assassination attempts on the life of Fidel and a covert war that could not break the will of an entire nation nor defeat the firmness of its revolutionary leadership that never gave up. Cuba remains the people of Fidel and Raul and those who this July 26, just six days after the opening of the embassies will mark 63 years of having changed forever the destiny of not just a small island but of all of Latin America.

To all our friends and peace loving people of the world who for decades worked in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution, who mobilized for the return of Elián González, who for 16 years made all kinds of efforts day after day, year after year, demanding the freedom of the Five and who denounced terrorism, we call on you today to demand from the U.S. Congress to put an end to the genocidal blockade against Cuba. We also call on the U.S. government to return the illegally occupied territory of the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, the dismantling of terrorist organizations based in Miami that is responsible for 5077 victims of terrorism, the end of radio and TV transmissions that violate Cuba's sovereignty. There has to be an end to bloated budgets of government programs that nourish and sustain subversive plans against Cuba in an attempt to promote internal destabilization and counterrevolution. And finally after all these decades of damage that the blockade has caused there must be compensation to the Cuban people. Statement by the Revolutionary Government

With the same spirit of unity in activism and confidence in victory as we had in our first call from the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 on May 20, 2002, we appeal to all of you today, in these times of new challenges and dangers ahead to:

Unconditionally defend the Cuban Revolution, its people and its Government; who are fighting for an end to the genocidal blockade, for the end of the travel ban, the return of Guantánamo and economic reparations for the damage caused to the Cuban people;

Demand the freedom of Oscar López Rivera, Puerto Rican political prisoner who has been in U.S. prison for more than three decades;

Support the just struggle for the Independence of Puerto Rico;

Denounce any attempt of aggression against Bolivarian Venezuela, the ALBA countries, and all progressive governments in the region through imperialist maneuvers;

Support the peace dialog between the FARC and the Colombian government;

Demand the return of the Malvinas Island to Argentina;

Express our unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian and all Arab peoples under attack by imperialism and Zionism.

Because of what December 17 means to all solidarity people of the world, and as was approved at the Summit of the Peoples of Panama, we will carry out actions against the blockade on the 17th of each month.

Our Logo, based on an original sketch of Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, expresses the pronouncement of CELAC in 2014 when it proclaimed; Latin America as a Zone of Peace.

Dear friends, from our modest position, and with the strength of reason, and from our collective accumulated experience, we call on you to fight more than ever before, with new tools, with greater wisdom but with the same passion and principles.