While many in politics have seemingly forgotten about the crisis in Cuba and the subsequent protest on the island and in South Florida that occurred last Summer, US Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) has not given up on providing aid to the Cuban people. This week, Salazar sat down with The Floridian where she detailed her bipartisan efforts to provide aid to the Cuban people.
During the interview, Congresswoman Salazar provided in-depth detail on the lengths she went to, admitting that she even went to US Rep, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for help, "I have gone to AOC, I have gone to Cori Bush, I went to Ilhan Omar."
However, Salazar was adamant about enlisting the help of US Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), "I went to Cori Bush and I said, 'Cori, listen, I need you to help me. I need you to help me with the Cubans, because I understand that Black Lives matter, and I understand that we cannot allow police brutality in this country. I get it, but the same thing applies to the Cubans in Cuba, so you may have George Floyd, he should have never died that way, but then we also have Jorge Flores. Which is as black as George. So, right? It's just one police brutality against another against another, it's the same, help me.' "
When asked about the details of the conversation, Salazar claims she believes she made the issue not a politically tied issue, but a human rights issue, leveling with Bush over helping her in her endeavors to denounce the wrongful death of George Floyd.
"I spoke with Cori Bush and explained it as I am explaining it to you, I said, 'You're a pastor. I'm appealing to you in the name of Christ. Forget about the embargo, forget about the Cuban regime, forget about all that, let's just concentrate on you helping me, so I can defend the Afro-Cubans who are being brutalized on the streets of Havana, that's it. Help me," said Rep. Salazar. Then I will help you and denounce that George Floyd should have never ever died that way. Regardless of who he was, right?'"
When asked what Representative Bush's response was, Salazar, said after a distinct pause, "Exactly that." So far, Florida politicians have been the most active in combating the Communist regime in Cuba, especially Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL). DeSantis at one point even advocated for supplying internet to the island, along with Salazar and US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
