Quito - Gerardo Hernández, one of the five Cubans held in US prisons for fighting terrorism, said here today that betraying was never an option to them.

There was no other option than to follow the path we followed, we never thought of betraying our country, said Gerardo, who is visiting Ecuador accompanied by his comprades of struggle Ramon Labanino, Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and fernando Gonzalez, at an invitation from President Rafael Correa.

Regarded as heroes in their country, The Cuban Five, as they are known internationally, were arrested by the FBI on Sep, 1998, in Miami, while monitoring Florida-based terrorist groups operating against Cuba.

"We were accomplishing a misison, and we were aware of the risks we were facing, but above all, we knew why we were facing them," said Gerardo in remarks to Prensa Latina.

He recalled that at the time of the arrest, the group included ten people, but five of them yielded to pressure exerted by their captors and decided to collaborate with the FBI, but the rest remain firm and were sent to jail in isolation for 17 months.

During that period, the Cuban Five decided, along with their lawyers appointed by the US government, to turn the trial into a denunciation of the terrorist plans forged against Cuba from US territory and establish the urgence of their presence there.

Sometimes this is talked about in general terms, but the missions have a full name and specific essence because the explosives were there, the plans to plant bombs and down planes were there, and anyone consulting the original papers of the trial can verify this, he said.

Gerardo was given a doub le life prison sentence plus 15 years, while Ramon and Antonio were sentenced for life, and Rene and Fernando were given 15 and 19 year sentences, respectively.

Not even today after having served 16 years in prison we would regret having given a step like thism said Gerardo, who, along with his comrades, was awarded recognition as Hero of the Republic of Cuba by President Raul Castro.

But neither would The Cuban Five ever forget the people who for years mobilized aroudn the world to demand their release, and that's why they are committed now to thank personally those expesssions of solidarity.

In Ecuador, for example, they had the chance to meet with the groups of solidarity with Cuba and local authorities, including President Correa, who after highlighting their example of strength and dignity, rated them Heroes of the Greater Latin American Homeland.