Alan Gross's Wife Wants Obama to 'Take the Situation Seriously'

Judy Gross, the wife of American relief worker Alan Gross who was accused of espionage by the Castro regime and has been imprisoned for four years by that Communist government, appeared on Wolf Blitzers show on CNN on Tuesday. Gross pressed President Barack Obama to ramp up his efforts to free her husband and said he could do much more than what he has done so far.

The Cubans have made it clear to me, I'm sure to you and to others, they want Cubans who are being held here in the United States, convicted of crimes, to be released, and there would be a sort of trade, Blitzer said. Your husband goes back to the United States, they go back to Cuba. Is that what -- is that's what -- is that what's holding up this freedom for Alan Gross?"

Well, you know, I have never heard the Cubans actually say that. I don't know if they've actually come out and said we want the Cubans in exchange for Alan Gross, Judy Gross replied. I met with the Cuban foreign minister the last time I was in Cuba, with other officials. And what they have said is they have been asking over and over and over again for the administration to send an envoy, to sit down with them, to start talking about these issues and there's been no response.

What would you like President Obama to do? Blitzer asked.

I think you'd have to ask him what it takes, Judy Gross said. I want Obama to take Alan seriously, to take the situation seriously. He's the leader of the nation. He's the one who can go to the State Department and go to the Justice Department, whatever department is involved, and say, let's make this work. He could do it tomorrow if he -- if he wanted to.

I hope that President Obama will make this his personal responsibility, to get on this case and get Alan free, she added.