A South Florida caravan is traveling to Washington D.C. to implore the U.S. government for assistance in ending the communist regime, who have controlled Cuba since 1958.
“We want support for a humanitarian intervention in our country,” Yoan David Gonzalez, a member of the caravan said. “The Castro Communist regime is letting our people die, the number of deaths from coronavirus and all the repression that has been seen in recent days is no secret to anyone.”
Those in the caravan are calling on the Biden administration to take more real action, rather than just sanctions, which they feel are simply “symbolic.”
“To demand real support,” Alexander Otaola told local NBS Miami, “that the Democratic administration, that President Biden and US politics do, do what they have really promised in pursuit of the freedom of the Cuban people.”
Many people taking part in the caravan were either born in Cuba or are descended from parents and grandparents who fled the communist regime.
“The Cuban people have been living for 62 years under the boot of communists,” Jose Martinez told WTLV First Coast News. “I was four years old when that began. You are afraid all day.”
On social media and part of anti-communist protests taking place in Jacksonville, Fla., the hashtags “#FreeCuba” and “#SOSCuba” have become popular. Carlos Hernandez explained why he wants to see the communist regime end.
“This is my country now,” Hernandez said. “But Cuba is the most beautiful place. I was born in Cuba, I never forgot my country. I want my country free for the new generation.”
If you missed @FCN2go at 6, I spent some time today with Carlos Hernandez because we both got to the Landing pretty early ahead of the #FreeCuba caravan heading there from Jax Beach.
He got emotional talking about why he says supporting #Cuba is so important. pic.twitter.com/t2Iqd40Tax
— Renata Di Gregorio (@RenataFCNews) July 25, 2021
One of the organizers of the caravan, Maribel Ramirez, told Local10 News gaining support from the U.S. government is “vital” to show the Cuban people there is hope for ending communist control in Cuba.
“The Cuban community, they are dying because they don’t even have food, they don’t even have a right or the freedoms to express themselves. . . They need health care support,” said Ramirez. “Right now, they don’t have that in Cuba. That is why we’re here because they need support.”
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and the Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
