Cuban Americans gather in Little Havana to mark the 5th anniversary of July 11 protests on the island
Cuban Americans filled Calle Ocho near Domino Park on Saturday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the July 11, 2021, demonstrations in Cuba and to voice continuous support for those still seeking freedom on the island.
Demonstrators holding a banner that read "Cuban Freedom March" took to the pavement in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood to remember the historic day five years ago when thousands of citizens across Cuba protested severe shortages of food and medicine, power blackouts, and the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. It marked the first major anti-government demonstration in Cuba since 1994.
"I wanted to do this for the Cuban people to see," said Rolando Escalona, City of Miami commissioner for District 3. "We are supporting them right here in Little Havana in Miami to Havana, Cuba."
Five years after those initial protests, the island nation continues to grapple with persistent food shortages, widespread blackouts, and a failing infrastructure.
Residents share what the rally means for Cuba
Escalona noted that Saturday's march and rally serves as a direct message both to the Cuban regime and the international community.
"They have never felt the pressure they're feeling right now," Escalona said. "And that is why this is so important today, because we are also sending a message to Washington, D.C., that we are ready for freedom. That we want to achieve our goal, which is only to be free."
Cuban flags flew high along Southwest Eighth Street as demonstrators held signs reading "Cuba Libre."
For many attendees, the demonstration was deeply personal. Nulvia Daigrepont, a Louisiana resident who left Cuba 46 years ago with her parents, participated in the rally alongside her daughters. Her father had been a political prisoner before the family fled the island.
"I just think of all the young people in July who went out in the streets, begging and pleading for freedom," Daigrepont said. "Some who are still imprisoned, and it just breaks my heart, and I just think about how much we take for granted."
Her daughter, Elizabeth Daigrepont, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the generational ties to the movement.
"She and my grandmother really instilled activism in our hearts and a desire to see a free Cuba, so we're so grateful to be out here with other parents and children," she said.
Speakers call for a regime change in the island
Speakers took to a stage during the rally to call for systematic changes on the island and to condemn the current government.
"It's a suffering they're doing over there. It's terrible," said Dr. Felix Roque of West New York. "You know, the communist regime is terrible. And they don't forgive. It's like a cancer. It's hurting everyone there."
The crowd heard from a wide range of local officials and community leaders throughout the afternoon. Among the featured speakers at the event were multiple City of Miami commissioners, Miami-Dade County commissioners, and the Miami-Dade tax collector.