Cuban freedom protests commemorated with Hialeah street renaming
MIAMI - Tuesday marks two years since uprisings in Cuba spread to South Florida and beyond, with the Cuban people and their allies around the globe demanding freedom for those on the island.
But many say little has changed since then as political prisoners remain in custody and more than 140,000 Cubans have tried entering the US in the past two years.
So local leaders are keeping the quest for change alive.
On Monday, a portion of West 8th Avenue in Hialeah was named "Patria y Vida Avenue," a nod to the song that became a rallying cry for Cubans on July 11th, 2021.
A plaza in front of Walker Park was also renamed "Patria y Vida Plaza."
"They didn't ask for the lifting of the embargo. They didn't ask for more money. What they just wanted to do was be free. And it resonated here in South Florida, particularly in Hialeah," said Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo.
Local lawmakers and members of the House Foreign Relations Committee held a roundtable discussion with Cuban activists in Miami at the Bay of Pigs Museum, a location commemorating another attempt at freedom 6 decades ago.
"Here we are 62 years later and we still do not have freedom in Cuba," said Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, R-TX.
"Cubans want the same thing as everyone else in the Western Hemisphere. Freedom, capitalism, be able to travel, feed their kids, be able to travel, do whatever they want to and live in liberty in the pursuit of happiness," added Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, R-FL.
Democrat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz began her remarks in Spanish, saying "for me, one this is clear. We must continue the fight for freedom for the Cubans on the island. That's the bottom line. That's what we're here for."
Her words were met with applause from Republican Rep. Salazar and others in attendance.
"This is about freedom. This isn't a Republican issue. This isn't a Democratic issue. This isn't a South Florida or Florida issue. This is an American issue," said. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-FL.
In fact, many consider it a national security issue as reports recently revealed the US confirmed China has had a spy base in Cuba for several years.
"This is a serious national security threat to the United States. Not only do we need to treat it as such, we need to make sure our allies understand that dealing with that regime and helping that regime is actually helping an enemy of the United States," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-FL.
Monday, in the Cuban Communist party-run "Granma newspaper," Cuban officials accused the US government of having "direct responsibility" for the protests on the island two years ago.
