(Le ngxoxo yenzeka ngo-April 1, 2009. Iqembu lethu lamafilimu lathola imvume yoMnyango Wezobulungisa yokukhuluma “nesiboshwa,” nesikhulu sasejele ekamelweni. Ngaphambi kokuba aboshwe ngo-1998, uGerardo waqondisa ukusebenza kwamanye amaPhoyisa OMbuso WaseCuba. abangene ngokunyenya amaqembu anodlame endaweni yase-Miami ngenhloso yokuwavimba ekwenzeni ukuhlasela kwamaphekula ezindaweni zezivakashi e-Cuba. Sithathe amanothi aphelele nacophelele.)
Landau: Wawuyini umsebenzi wakho futhi kungani?
UGerardo Hernandez: E-US jikelele naseFlorida ikakhulukazi, amaqembu amaningi acabanga futhi enza izenzo zobuphekula eCuba. Besiqoqa imininingwane ku-Alpha 66, i-F4 Commandos, iCuban American National Foundation, kanye ne-Brothers to Rescue. Sekudlule iminyaka eminingi futhi ngiyethemba ukuthi akukho okuphunyukile kimi kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi bekungamaqembu amakhulu esasisebenza kuwo [engena ngesinyenyela].
Landau: Ufundeni ngokungena kwakho?
U-Hernandez: Into yokuqala eyangithinta kwakuwukungajeziswa kwalawa maqembu, ephula imithetho yase-US: Izenzo Zokungathathi hlangothi [zama-1790s] okuthiwa zisho ukuthi ayikho inhlangano engasebenzisa inhlabathi yaseMelika ukwenza ubuphekula kwelinye izwe.
Endabeni ye-Alpha 66, izisebenzi zizothatha isikebhe esisheshayo futhi zidubule ezindaweni ezihlosiwe ngasogwini lwase-Cuba. Lapho bebuyela eMiami, babeba nomhlangano nabezindaba futhi basho ngokukhululekile abakwenzile.
Futhi lapho othile ebuza, “Hhayi-ke, ingabe lokho akuphuli imithetho yokungathathi-hlangothi,” babephendula: “Akunjalo, ngoba saqale saya kwesinye seziKhiye endaweni ethile eCaribbean sase siya eCuba. Ngakho ngokobuchwepheshe, asizange sihambe e-US” Bakwenza lokhu ngokusobala futhi akukho sikhungo saseMelika esizibophezele.
Landau: Ngamiphi iminyaka?
U-Hernandez: Lokhu kwenzeka kusukela ngo-1959. Mina ngokwami ngaqala ukubhekana nalokhu ngeminyaka yawo-1990. Selokhu ngaba lapha ejele eVictorville [California] cishe eminyakeni emi-3 edlule, ngicabanga ukuthi ngo-2005 babopha umuntu waseCuba khona lapha kulesi sifunda enezikhali, zonke izinhlobo zezikhali endlini yakhe. Futhi into yokuqala ayisho ukuthi, “Hhayi-ke, ngiyilungu le-Alpha 66 futhi ngisebenzisa lezi zikhali emzabalazweni wenkululeko yaseCuba. Lokho kwakuwukuzivikela kwakhe.
U-Landau: Ingabe ama-Cuban Five ayengamavolontiya wonke? Umuntu uzilungiselela kanjani ukungena eqenjini lesitha ezweni eliyizitha? Bese nenza sengathi niyizitha zezwe lakini ningabangane balo?
U-Hernandez: Yebo, wonke amavolontiya. Endabeni yami, angiyona indoda yomsebenzi wezempi. Ngafundela ukuba idiplomat. Kwangithatha iminyaka engu-6 ukuqeda iziqu zami ze-International and Political Relations. Ngemva kwalokho, ngaya e-Angola, njengengxenye yomsebenzi wokuzithandela wezizwe zonke. Futhi ngenkathi ngise-Angola kubonakala sengathi ngavusa ukunaka kwabezobunhloli baseCuba, futhi lapho ngibuya, beza kimina nalo msebenzi. Bathi, “Siyazi ukuthi wafundela ukuba usopolitiki, kodwa uyazi ukuthi izwe lethu linesimo esithile ngala maqembu amaphekula aqhamuka eFlorida ezokwenza lonke uhlobo lobugebengu futhi sidinga umuntu ozohamba ayofeza le misebenzi.”
Bengingasho ukuthi “Cha, ngafunda idiplomacy, ngifuna ukuba idiplomat,” kodwa amaCuba, lawo akhuliswa ngeNguquko, ayazi ukuthi phakathi neminyaka engama-50 edlule izwe lethu liye labhekana cishe nesimo sempi. ECuba, lowo ongazi ukuthi uyisisulu sobuphekula, okungenani uyazi ngendiza eyaqhuma phezu kweBarbados, kwashona abantu abangu-73 [October 1976]. Ubani ongazi ngebhomu [ngo-1997] elabulala u-Fabio di Celmo [isivakashi sase-Italy nesivakashi sase-Havana's Hotel Copacabana saqhunyiswa umSalvador owathi uqashwe uLuis Posada] ukubalula nje izenzo ezimbalwa? Kwakukhona isikole samabanga aphansi lapho abavukeli bekhawunta bathungela ithangi [likaphethiloli] ngomlilo. Lezi zenzo ziyingxenye kanembeza waseCuba. Ngakho, ngatshela izikhulu zezobuNhloli, “Yebo, ngizimisele ukufeza lo msebenzi.”
Landau: Ukwazile kanjani ukungena kula maqembu? Ubaqinisekise kanjani, abantu abafana noJose Basulto [inhloko yeBrothers to Rescue], isibonelo?
U-Hernandez: Kubantu baseCuba kuleli, yonke into ixhunyiwe. Abantu baseCuba e-United States banamalungelo amakhulu, angekho ezinye izakhamizi zomhlaba ezinawo. Abantu baseCuba bafika nganoma yimuphi umzila, okuhlanganisa namaphasipoti angamanga, futhi ukuphela kwento okufanele bayisho ukuthi, “Ngiza ngifuna inkululeko,” futhi ngaso leso sikhathi i-US ibanikeza yonke imibhalo abayidingayo. Ngakho-ke, endabeni kaBasulto, ngokwesibonelo, omunye wamaqabane ethu owangena ngesinyenyela kuMzalwane Wokutakula ekuqaleni “wayentshontshe” indiza evela eCuba. URene [uGonzalez, omunye wabaHlanu baseCuba] wandizela indiza yakhe lapha futhi, njengokujwayelekile, wemukelwa njengeqhawe. Wathola ukunakwa okuningi futhi, kamuva wajoyina iBrothers. Umsebenzi wakhe kwakuwukuqoqa imininingwane ngaleyo nhlangano.
Ngakho-ke, uma ungibuza ukuthi kanjani, ngithi sasebenzisa njengesisekelo sethu sokungena wona kanye amalungelo atholwa yibo bonke abantu baseCuba lapho befika kuleli zwe; ngisho nalabo abathathe abanye bahamba nabo, baduna izindiza, noma babeke isibhamu ekhanda lomshayeli. Bheka abantu abafana no-Leonel Matias, [ngo-1994 aduna isikebhe eCuba futhi wabulala isikhulu samasosha asolwandle ngesikhathi] wabulala umuntu esikebheni, bafika lapha ngaleso sikebhe, nesibhamu sakhe - futhi isidumbu satholwa. Kodwa naphezu kwakho konke lokho, akazange abhekane nanoma yiziphi izinqubo ohlelweni lwezobulungiswa lwase-US. Labo bantu baxolelwa ngokuzenzakalelayo. Ngakho-ke sisebenzisa lolo hlobo lwenzuzo ngqo, sakwazi ukungena ezingeni elithile, lezi zinhlangano.
Uma ngikhuluma ngabazalwane Abahlengayo, abanye bangase bacabange, “Lena yinhlangano esiza abantulayo eyahlenga ama-balseros [amapulangwe].” Ngokuphambene nalokho, nakuba imisebenzi yabo yayilinganiselwe ekusindiseni ama-balleros, babengenazo izinkinga neziphathimandla zaseCuba. Abantu abajwayele ukungakwazi ukuthi u-Jose Basulto, inhloko yaleyo nhlangano, unomlando omude… Waqeqeshwa ne-CIA, futhi wangena eCuba ngeminyaka yawo-1960. Ngo-1962, wafika eCuba ngesikebhe esisheshayo futhi wadubula amagobolondo ogwini lwaseCuba, okuhlanganisa nokukhomba ihhotela. Ngisho noBasulto, nawo wonke umlando wakhe owaziwayo, akazange abe nezinkinga ngenkathi elinganisela izenzo zakhe ekusindiseni ama-balseros. Nokho, ngo-1995, i-United States neCuba zasayina izivumelwano zokufuduka ezicacisa ukuthi izikebhe ezivinjwe olwandle ngeke zisalethwa e-United States; kunalokho bazobuyiselwa eCuba. Ngaleso sikhathi abantu bayeka ukunikelela iBasulto nenhlangano yakhe ngoba bethi: “Kungani sizonika inhlangano kaBasulto imali? Uma ebiza onogada basogwini, bazovele babuyisele lawo ma-ballero eCuba?”
Ngakho-ke, lapho uBasulto ebona ibhizinisi lakhe lisengozini, wasungula lokhu kuhlasela [ngo-1995] kwendawo yezindiza yaseCuba njengendlela yokugcina abantu benikela ngemali. Sethule lobu bufakazi ecaleni lethu. Uma abezindaba bengafuni ukunaka kakhulu lokhu … kahle, abafuni ukuthinta izinto ezinjalo. Akubafanele. Ngibhekise kumaphephandaba ezinkampani. Imibhalo yonke ikhona ekhombisa ukuthi uBasulto kanye neBrothers to Rescue bebezama kanjani izikhali ezenziwe ngezandla ukuze bazethule eCuba.
Lapho uBasulto efakaza ecaleni lethu [2001], abameli bethu bambuza ukuthi uhlose ukwenzani ngazo zonke lezo zikhali. Konke lokhu kuserekhodini lesivivinyo, nakuba kungekho obonakala efuna ukukunaka. Abantu bathambekele ekukhulumeni ngeBrothers to Rescue njengokungathi bayinhlangano esiza abantulayo, beshiya ingxenye ephathelene nobuphekula; njengokuthi bayawashiya amaqiniso okuthi i-FBI ingenile nakuleyo nhlangano. I-FBI yayinothile eqenjini owayebanikeza ukwaziswa ngemisebenzi yabazalwane. Kungani i-FBI ingangena enhlanganweni yabantu?
USaul Landau, okwamanje wenza (noJack Willis) ifilimu ku-Cuban Five. Unguzakwabo we-Institute for Policy Studies kanye ne-Transnational Institute.
I-ZNetwork ixhaswa kuphela ngokuphana kwabafundi bayo.
Nikela