MIAMI (WSVN) - While the Cuban American community in South Florida is demanding democracy in the island country, a new monument reflecting the multi-generational desire was unveiled in a Miami neighborhood significant to the exile community.
While state media in Cuba reported Raul Castro, former President of Cuba, took part in high-level government meetings regarding the protests across the island, in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, a monument was unveiled on Tuesday as a symbol to those who fought against the Castro regime.
Politicians, including Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, and Cuban exile organizations, like the Political Prison Organization and Historico Cubano Casa del Preso, took part in the ceremony.
The monument at Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park, 999 SW 13th Avenue, honors those who fought against the rise of the Castro regime.
In Cuba, a historic uprising is taking place as Cubans are gathering in droves, calling for change and their freedom.
Cuban Americans in South Florida are also participating in demonstrations to show their solidarity for their loved ones on the island.
“They’ve reached a tipping point where they said, ‘Enough is enough,’” said local protester Gilbert Concepcion.
Families who live in South Florida are proud of the demonstrations in Cuba, but they’re also worried about the potential for violence for those there.
“I still have a lot of family in Cuba, and obviously, we’re concerned about their whereabouts and their safety,” said Concepcion.
Those who have lined up along Southwest Eighth Street this week represent generations of families whose relatives escaped Cuba.
They said they want to return to a Cuba where people aren’t denied basic human rights.
“People are dying, people are getting beaten, and people are suffering, and they’re starving, and this has been happening for far too long,” City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said.
Another demonstration called “End the Regime” is set to take place at 5 p.m. at Tamiami Park at the Cuban Memorial.
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