Cuban hero responds to criticisms of Wasp Network

Based on the book 'Los Ultimos Soldados de la Guerra Fria' (The Last Soldiers of the Cold War), by Brazilian author Fernando Morais, the feature-length film tells the story of the Cuban antiterrorist fighters Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Ramon Labañino.

The Five, as they were known internationally, were arrested in the United States in 1998 and sentenced to lengthy prison terms for warning Cuba, in the 1990s, about terrorist plans by South Florida-based violent groups.

Hegemonic media tried repeatedly to deny the real story, whose human essence emerges, in some extent, in this film, which upsets those who want to hide the authentic crimes and their perpetrators.

In Cuba, the film was screened in December 2019, at the 41st Festival of New Latin American Cinema, and the Five received a standing ovation at the Yara Theater, in Havana, from Cubans and foreigners, who thanked them for their courage, although the film does not show the whole story.

The coproduction among France, Spain, Belgium and Brazil was also exhibited last year at the 76th International Film Festival of Venice. The movie stars in Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and actors Gael Garcia Bernal (Mexico), Edgar Ramirez (Venezuela) and Wagner Moura (Brazil), among others.

Wasp Network has also been screened in major events such as the International Film Festival of Toronto, Canada; the San Sebastian Festival, in Spain, and the New York Festival, in the United States.