Olga Salanueva and Adriana Pérez, wives of René González and Gerardo Hernández respectively, again received a refusal from the US Government to visit their husbands in prison.

"The United States Government lies once again," Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcón denounced upon learning at noon yesterday, September 12, 2007, that the US State Department had communicated to Olga Salanueva and Adriana Pérez that their requests for a visa to visit their husbands, René González and Gerardo Hernández, held prisoner in the United States, had been denied for the eighth time.

The US authorities used the argument that both women were linked to alleged espionage activities.  "Lies, they could not be accused of espionage because even their husbands weren't," Alarcón pointed out.

In Olga's case, she remained legally in the United States for two years and two months after René's arrest, which occurred in her home and in her presence.  In that period of time, nothing indicated any connection between her and the charges later presented against her husband, nor was she accused of any federal offense.  Were it necessary, two years and two months would have been time enough for the US Government to bring charges against her.

In the case of Adriana, had the US Government had any concrete evidence against her, it could have acted in July 2002 when she was detained for 11 hours in the Houston, Texas airport, at which time her visa was revoked and she was prevented from entering US territory and visiting her husband in prison.

Alarcón emphasized the strange element of cruelty for them to be called to the US Interest Section in Havana on September 12, the exact day that their husbands completed nine years of their unjust imprisonment.  It is a form of torture to prevent these men from contact with their loved ones, when what they deserve is recognition, honor and homage for their services to humanity, Alarcón pointed out.