STATEMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE CUBAN FIVE

To all committees and friends of the Cuban Five

To all friends of the Cuban Revolution

To all honest and noble people of the world

As is publicly known, the terrible passage of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, with only 9 days between them, hit the island of Cuba from the East to the West, causing millions of dollars in loses in agriculture, housing and the infrastructure of the country.

Thanks to the Cuban Revolution and it Civil Defense, only 7 human lives were lost. Several million Cubans were evacuated. Thousands lost either part or all of their homes.

Despite the terrible hit, nobody will be abandoned. They will not have to experience what has happened to victims in other countries.

We would like to alert the international community about a media campaign regarding alleged humanitarian aid that the Bush administration has offered to Cuba . What are most clear are the Bush administration¢ s shameful designs, in the middle of this colossal disgrace, to take over Cuba .

If there was even a minimum of humanitarian intent, the first thing the Bush administration should have done was to unconditionally lift the genocidal blockade against Cuba . The current administration is not even willing to lift the blockade for six months so that Cuba might acquire necessary goods for housing construction in the normal way that any other country on earth is able, and as the government of Cuba has asked for in a very dignified way in three verbal notes.

The genocidal policy against Cuba has been even more present in this painful situation that the nation of Cuba now finds itself in. The insulating offer of $100 thousand dollars with a condition of supervision attached, followed by the announcement of the sale of $250 million by the US Secretary of Commerce, is another Machiavellian maneuver to attempt to show the world they are extending their hand when they are in reality trying to destroy Cuba .

This amount is much lower than what Cuba has acquired from the U.S. since the beginning of the year, and does not modify by one millimeter the commercial conditions even under these grave circumstances. The payment must still be made in cash, there will be no line of credit and ships that deliver goods to Cuba will not be allowed to dock in any US port for the following 6 months. These are just some of the enormous restrictions that the criminal blockade imposes against Cuba .

The total hurricane damage is more than $5 billion dollars, and is mostly in housing, agriculture, and in the electrical, communications and economic infrastructure.

If today there are progressive governments in Latin America and the Caribbean , among other factors, it is due to the heroic resistance of the Cuban people during all these years. Cuba , despite being a small, blockaded country, has never stopped extending its solidarity to the people of Latin America .

Today Cuba urgently needs the solidarity of each one of us.

* We are making an appeal for actions all over the world, to demand the unconditional lifting of the genocidal blockade against Cuba as the great majority of the international community has demanded.

* We demand that the US government respect the clamor of our nations by lifting the blockade against Cuba .

* We denounce the US government, its intelligence agencies, and the terrorist mafia of Miami that are trying to take advantage of the situation with its campaigns of lying and misinformation.

* We call on all the friends of Cuba , around the world, to work in solidarity to rebuild what the force of nature has destroyed.

Cuba urgently needs: non-perishable food, materials for electricity repairs, and construction materials.

Some data to considerate about the damage done:

· Evacuated: 3.2 million people

· Affected houses: close to 500,000 seriously damaged, 62,000 totally destroyed

· Electrical towers destroyed: 137, electrical posts knocked down: 4,500

· Agriculture loses: thousand of hectares

· Loss of poultry:500, 000

· Huge loses in sugar cane, tobacco, coffee, bananas, citric and rice industries.

· A huge loss of pork stock

· Thousands of kilometers of freeways and roads damaged. Seven ports closed.

· Huge damages in educational institutions, universities, day care centers, cultural and sanitary institutions

In the face of this devastating panorama, the dignity and bravery of the Cuban people stands as strong as the palms. Despite the blockade and the hurricanes, the Cuban people have not lost their smiles and continue building that world that is possible and that humanity needs so much.

To help in the US , please donate to:

* IFCO

418 W. 145th Street, New York , NY 10031, 212-926-5757

For phone or by regular mail. To donate online, use the website:

www.IFCONEWS. org. Indicate your donation amount and write Hurricane Relief in the box online

* Jewish Solidarity is accepting check donations to the attention of Maricusa, 100 Beacom Blvd , Miami , FL , 33135 . Check should be marked "Humanitarian Relief."

* Catholic Charities/Caritas Cubanas is accepting check donations made out to Catholic Relief Services, PO Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. Checks should be marked "For Cuba Gustav Relief."

* The Daughters of Charity is accepting food donations at 500 NW 63rd Ave. in Miami . Needed items include powdered and evaporated milk, canned hot dogs and packaged red beans, lentils and black beans.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE CUBAN FIVE