Cuba was the topic of conversation on national television Wednesday night during a townhall interview involving Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis was among several politicians taking part in the Fox News Channel event held at the Versailles Restaurant in Little Havana amid growing tension and protests on the island nation.
“From day one, the people of Cuba have been protesting and demonstrating against the communist dictatorship in Havana,” DeSantis said. “It’s not because of vaccines or these side issues. They want a new government. They want a free Cuba.”
DeSantis said the United States must be “supportive” of the efforts.
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“I’ve called on (President) Joe Biden. The communist regime has shut down the internet. Let’s work to beam in the internet on the island of Cuba so these folks have a fighting chance,” DeSantis said.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar were also at the event and spoke out on the crisis.
“There is no U.S. embargo against the Cuban people,” Rubio said on television. “If a Cuban wants to open a Versailles on the island, we can sell them stuff. The only embargo is on the Cuban regime because they own everything.”
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“The most urgent thing we need to do is to get them WiFi and internet,” Salazar said outside the event, where protests have taken place for over a week. “We’re not asking for the best quality. We just want to make sure the Cuban people understand they are not alone.”
Hundreds of people also attended a rally Wednesday at Tropical Park focused on political prisoners, with one human rights group saying at least 500 people have been imprisoned by the Cuban government.
