Hundreds of people gathered Sunday for protests on the streets of Cuba, and it sparked another demonstration in South Florida.
The massive protests initially erupted in Santiago and other cities, as people protest the lack of food and electricity, following hours-long blackouts across much of the island's provinces.
The U.S. Embassy in Cuba is urging the Cuban government to address the needs of the Cuban people.
Meanwhile, in Miami's Little Havana area, dozens gathered in solidarity with Cuba outside of Versailles Restaurant.
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Cameras captured protesters waving both Cuban and U.S. flags on Sunday night.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and members of Congress including Carlos Gimenez, Maria Salazar and Mario Diaz-Balart are among the South Florida leaders who have released statements on the protests, also calling for change.
“On July 11, 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets demanding freedom,” Gimenez said in a statement Sunday. “Today, on March 17, thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets again to protest the murderous Castro dictatorship and demand freedom, power, and food. In response, the regime shut down the internet to prevent protesters from organizing and mobilized its secret police to brutalize and jail the opposition. Today, over 1,000 brave men & women are being jailed unjustly for exercising their basic Human Rights. After sixty four years of tyranny, the Cuban people want to be free. I’m calling on the Biden Administration to do the right thing and provide the island of Cuba with satellite internet to stop the repression of the dictatorial regime.
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"The resilient people from Santiago, Cuba are courageously demanding essential rights in the face of brutal oppression. The murderous Cuban dictatorship is responsible for egregious human rights abuses, and its criminals must be held accountable for their crimes," Diaz-Balart wrote on X. "The Cuban people will be free, and it will be due to the leadership and bravery of those who are risking everything for the hope of a free and democratic Cuba."
