Havana, May 10 (RHC)-- Cuba reiterated today its willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States on the Alan Gross case to search for a mutually beneficial humanitarian solution.

A letter addressed to journalist Wolf Blitzer of the U.S. TV program The Situation Room by the Head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington Jorge Bolaños, clearly states the Cuban government’s position regarding Gross, who was convicted to serve 15 years in Cuba for crimes against the island’s sovereignty.

The Cuban diplomat explains that Gross is not imprisoned for helping Jews connect to the Internet since all Cuban synagogues have Internet access and had it before Gross began coming to Cuba.

”Mr. Gross violated Cuban law, to implement a program of the U.S. Government to attack Cuban constitutional order. The covert activities performed by Gross in Cuba are crimes in many other countries including the United States,” the letter states and adds that Gross was not a volunteer worker who came to help the people of Cuba, but a professional paid by the U.S. Government.

Bolaños reaffirms that Alan Gross is in good physical condition, gets specialized medical attention, a balanced diet, has systematic consular access, visits of friends and political and religious personalities. Gross has also received visits from his wife and keeps stable systematic communication with his family.

The chief of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington then compares the Alan Gross case with that of the Cuban Five.

While the Government of Cuba has provided all the visits from family, friends, religious figures and political personalities who have requested access to Alan Gross, a cruel regime of isolation has been imposed on the Cuban Five: Gerardo, Ramón, Antonio, Fernando and René.

The Five's contacts with their families have been hampered and two of them (Gerardo and Rene) could not be visited by their wives, Olga and Adriana. Gerardo's mother died while he was in prison and the parents of the other four are senior citizens.

The Five also have strict restrictions on even giving interviews to the U.S. press.

Gerardo, Ramón, Antonio, Fernando and René have served nearly 14 years imprisonment in U.S. jails for gathering information on terrorist groups who attacked Cuba from the United States. This information helped save lives in both countries, and the Five never threatened U.S. security in any way.

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