Paris, Sep 10 (Prensa Latina) The Hero of the Republic of Cuba, Gerardo Hernandez, and his wife, Adriana Gonzalez, were welcomed by Bernard Saugey, a member of the French Senate and responsible for economic, administrative and financial issues.
During the exchange, Hernandez stressed the solidarity many French senators expressed to them during their years of unjust imprisonment in the United States, and the mobilization of charitable associations and French citizens for that cause.

Hernandez, along with Rene Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando Gonzalez, was detained in 1998 in the United States.

The Cuban Five, as they are internationally known, complied with unjust imprisonment in the northern country, where they were convicted for monitoring terrorist actions boosted from U.S. territory against Cuba.

Hernandez also thanked the actions developed by the France-Caribbean Friendship Group of the Senate in favor of Cuba in recent years, and its clear position condemning the economic, financial and commercial blockade imposed by Washington on the Caribbean island for more than five decades.

On the other hand, Saugey referred to the traditional ties of friendship existing between both countries, including the cultural, economic, parliamentary and governmental sphere.

Juan Valdes, representative of the International Department of the Cuban Communist Party, als attended the meeting, who analyzed issues on the island's current situation, including the process of normalization of relations with the United States.

Hernandez and his wife will participate from September 11 to 13 in the 80th edition of the traditional festival of the French newspaper L'Humanite, an event to be held at the Georges Valbon departmental park on the outskirts of Paris.