The 19th Conference of Philosophers and Social Scientists of the US and Cuba came to an end after five days Friday at the University of Havana with approval of a resolution calling for "the restoration of relations that would benefit North America, Cuba and the rest of the international community."

In the text, read by Richard Jones, professor at Howard University of Maryland, the 27 foreign participants from the United States and Canada condemned what they called the arrogant belligerence of the US government. "We reject the use of the 9/11 tragedy as a justification to continue portraying Cuba as an evil country."

The participants at the academic event also expressed their indignation at the refusal of the Bush administration to try Luis Posada Carriles as a terrorist or extradite him to Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the conference noted that the Cuban Five, who gathered information about terrorist plans in Florida against the island, remain in US prisons. "The US government has not stopped those illegal activities and continues to shelter and even pardon well known anti-Cuba terrorists."

In the final resolution the philosophers and social scientists of North America set out their commitment: "To work tirelessly towards an end to the cruel, costly and inhuman economic blockade against Cuba. The blockade violates the right of US citizens to travel and freely be informed and constitutes a barrier for normal relations that should exist between our two peoples."

Source: By Lourdes Pérez Navarro. Periodico26.cu