NF: Now this last is related to that but it might be redundant, so I’ll just see. I assume you know about political prisoners, US political prisoners like Mumia Abu-Jamal, and Sundiata Acoli, and different political prisoners that are in prison for very similar reasons – people fighting for freedom but for people within the United States. Has your relationship…, were you able to develop relationships maybe with any political prisoners through letters? And how has your perspective been influenced regarding that? And also might you say anything about the relationship between the case of the Cuban Five and the movement around political prisoners, Leonard Peltier and others.
RG: We weren’t allowed to write to any other prisoners. So we didn’t have any direct contact with political prisoners, but of course we read each others’ statements and writings. Mumia is a very profound guy, he’s incredible, very intelligent. That’s one guy who was very bright before coming to prison but he’s brighter now. We learned of course about Peltier. We were in contact with the Puerto Rican cause through the friends of the Puerto Ricans. So we know about each other, we supported each other when we could write a public statement for one of them.
But I believe the problem with the political prisoners in the US is a reflection of a bigger problem, which is the whole judicial system, which is a system built on humiliating you, on forcing the defendant to renounce his own rights to go to a trial, to have a fair trial. And of course if you’re a political prisoner, there is a dignity inside you that prevents you from doing that. And then they go after you with vengeance, with hatred which is also increased of course by the political difference between the prosecutor and the political prisoner himself. So in my opinion it’s part of the biggest problem that I hope American society awakens to. Because it’s a real problem. It’s an industry. It’s an uncivilized system. The judges are stupid dogs. That’s what they are, most of them. They don’t have any sense of justice at all. And when a political guy ends up being a defendant, what falls on him is the whole hatred of a system that is unjust in itself. That hatred increases because of his views and is criminal. So in my opinion, everybody who supports political prisoners should get together there. Don’t forget that we are fighting against something which is bigger than that. It’s the whole judicial system that is an industry that should come to an end.
NF: Thank you, I don’t have any other questions. Any final words? Anything you’d like listeners to hear about, particularly if you were talking to the Washington, D.C. community?
RG: Well, we’re going to have an event in Washington in June for the Five (2014). I believe it’s a very important event. And I believe it should be prepared in advance, in order to make it resound in the whole city. We are trying to put there not only Americans, but people from all over the world. I encourage everybody who has some sensibility to participate. But I would say more. I believe that it shouldn’t be only about the Five. I believe that everybody who supports a political prisoner should find a way to manifest there. I believe we have to fight together for that.
NF: Thank you brother. Thank you for your work for humanity. Thanks so much.
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