letter of december to Obama

Mr. President Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.

Washington DC 20500 (USA)

Mr. President,

In 2013, the day before Thanksgiving, a day of actions of thanks and offering in the United States, after having shilly-shallying between the turkeys “Caramel” and “Popcorn”, destined to end up in the oven, you finished by generously sparing Popcorn’s life.

At the moment when I’m writing this letter, I don’t yet know the name of the plump feathered creatures that, on November 27th, you granted pardon to, in front of dozens of reporters and photographers.

What I do know, however, Mr. President, is that the entire world is waiting, on your part, the grace for unjustly condemned prisoners, among whom the three Cubans, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino and Antonio Guerrero, who are rotting away in your prisons since more than sixteen years now.

Gerardo Hernández, sentenced to life in prison for an act that he never committed, presented, on March 16th 2011, that’s more than three years ago, an affidavit in line with his request for a habeas corpus, which has rested without response up to now. He concluded his affidavit in these terms:

« I came to Florida in service to my country, unarmed, to contribute to end violence against my people and therefore to save lives. That I would be charged with a conspiracy to murder was the furthest thing from my thinking and reality. It is my hope that this writing assists the Court in its efforts to find the truth and restore justice. »

The New York Times, dated last November 3rd, joins in with this wish for the liberation of the three Cubans. The newspaper invites you to accept as soon as possible the humanitarian exchange proposed by Cuba, between Alan Gross and the three Cubans.

After having specified the role of your fellow countryman Alan Gross in Cuba, the article recalled the sum and substance of the history of the Cuban Five, and particularly the position of Judge Phyllis Kravitch, for whom the charge of conspiring with a view to commit a murder imputed to Gerardo Hernández, was unfounded.
The New York Times is demanding you to move quickly, to take really seriously Alan Gross’s decision to commit suicide if he’s not let go this year.

We are in December, Mr. President; you cannot wait any longer to accept this exchange. You succeeded in negotiating the liberation, last May 31st, of a soldier held in Afghanistan in exchange for five Talibans. It would be indecent to compare the three Cuban patriots still imprisoned to Afghan terrorists, and yet the Afghans were treated with more consideration by your administration than the Cubans!

Your country considers itself proud to collaborate with Cuba in the struggle against the Ebola virus; it is now the moment, Mr. President, to consolidate your relations with Cuba in accepting this humanitarian exchange.

Please receive, Mr. President, the expression of my most sincere humanitarian sentiments.

Jacqueline Roussie

Translated by William Peterson

Copies sent to: Mrs. Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Kathryn Ruemmler and to Mr. Joe Biden, John F. Kerry, Rand Beers, Harry Reid, Eric Holder, Denis MacDonough, Neil Eggleston, Rick Scott, and Charles Rivkin, United States ambassador in France.