City of Havana, Cuba
June 9, 2001

Brother Ken Riley,
President Local 1422
International Longshore Association

Brother Riley:

We have just received the information about the National March for Worker's Rights to be held in Columbia, South Carolina on June 9, 2001, whose main focus is the case of the Charleston 5.

It had a great impact on all of us because it is quite difficult to believe that a group of unarmed workers who peacefully defend their legitimate rights  could be so brutally attacked with such a deployment  of sophisticated equipment and offensive weapons.

This savage attack and the laws against workers and unions' rights existing in S.C. are real proof that the neoliberal practices are not just put forward in third world countries but also in the most powerful and developed country in the world, un-respectful of labor and workers' rights in the name of the so called democracy which only works for corporations and the most wealthy people.

On behalf of the 3.1 million members of the Central Workers Union of Cuba and the 19 national sectoral unions, we wish to convey to the Charleston 5 and all Longshore Workers our sincere solidarity.  We will send the information about this injustice to other friends in Latin American unions so as to promote a vast solidarity movement with you to stop these unfair practices against workers .

Long live labor solidarity!

Central de Trabajadores de Cuba