Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) marked the fifth anniversary of the July 11th protests in Cuba by demanding the release of all protesters taken prisoner by the Diaz-Canel regime.
The J11 Protests: A Recap
In July 2021, Cubans across the island began a mass demonstration against the longstanding Communist regime under the motto "Patria y Vida" ("Homeland and Life"), a movement lauded by Florida Democrats and Republicans alike.
The regime, predictably, cracked down hard on the movement, detaining hundreds, including children and teenagers, many of whom are still held in detention to this day.
Diaz-Balart's Statement
To commemorate the protests, Rep. Diaz-Balart said in a recent statement, "Today, we stand in solidarity with the brave Cuban people who, on July 11, 2021, made history by rising up across the island to demand freedom, dignity, and an end to decades of tyranny."
"The historic J11 protests further exposed the brutality of the Castro regime," Rep. Diaz-Balart continued, adding, "Instead of responding to the Cuban people's legitimate calls for liberty, the dictatorship’s thugs unleashed violent repression, arrests, and harsh prison sentences against demonstrators, including minors. Still today, over 1,300 courageous Cubans –including 40 children– remain unjustly imprisoned. I demand the immediate release of all political prisoners, the end of impunity for those responsible for these heinous crimes, and I reaffirm my unwavering solidarity with those struggling for freedom."
Recent Developments Surrounding Cuba
The Florida congressman's statement coincides with the U.S. Department of State announcing the imposition of additional sanctions on the Cuban regime's "instruments of repression" and "sources of funding."
These sanctions, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are to "both address the national security threats posed by the Cuban Communist regime, and to drive the economic and political reforms to give Cuba a better future."
The Communist regime in Cuba is considered by some to be on its last legs, and Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) said in May that President Donald Trump is "the only person who will be able to free Cuba after 67 years of oppression, and we Republicans in South Florida are supporting you and waiting for you to take the necessary action."
