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US Figures Demand Visas for Wives of The Five

Washington, Mar 9 (Prensa Latina) At least fourteen US figures demanded on Monday the US Government of President Barack Obama to grant entry visas to the wives of two anti-terrorist Cuban fighters held in US prisons.

On occasion of International Women's Day, the senders addressed a letter to State Secretary Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, demanding "a gesture."

"Granting visas to Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez will show the world that we are represented by leaders who want better relations with other nations and respect basic human rights," says the document.

For over a decade, the US administration has refused entry visas for Salanueva and Perez to be able to visit their husbands Rene Gonzalez (sentenced to 15 years) and Gerardo Hernandez (double life plus 15 years).

The signatories of the letter are members of the International Commission for the Right to Family Visits, made up of 170 renowned figures from 27 countries, according to a communique issued by the International Free The Five Committee.

They include Noam Chomsky, Michael Parenti, Mayor of Richmond city Gayle McLaughlin, former Congress member Esteban Torres and actor Danny Glover, as well as painter and poet Alice Walker and historic fighter Angela Davis, former US Interest Section Chief in Cuba Wayne Smith, civil rights activist Yury Kochiyama and Head of the Censored Project-Media Freedom Foundation Peter Phillips.

Also signing are former Detroit Bishop Thomas Gumbleton and former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, Reverend Joan Brown Campbell, leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union Dolores Huerta and President of the San Francisco-based International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10, Melvin MacKay.

Taken from the web site(www.plenglish.com)