MIAMI (WSVN) - Cuban-Americans continue to demand democracy for the island nation and now their protests are getting attention from members of Congress and the governor of Florida.
On Thursday morning, U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with local representatives, community leaders and other House Republicans for a roundtable discussion at Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine in downtown Doral.
“I think when you look around the country, South Florida is the place you look to for people who understand the meaning of freedom,” said DeSantis. “We have, really, a unique opportunity for the first time in 62 years, a real chance for a popular uprising and an end to the dictatorship.”
President Joe Biden and his administration have laid out a few potential moves that could help the situation in Cuba, but McCarthy, DeSantis and other GOP leaders said it is just not enough.
“I’m very upset with this administration, the lack of action by this administration,” said McCarthy. “We asked to meet with this president, this advisory group. We’ve taken to him recommendations of what we can do. It’s fallen on deaf ears.”
“Time is running out, and we are not going to wait much more,” said U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla.
Thursday’s meeting was part of a tour that included a rally in the heart of South Florida’s Cuban exile community. Those GOP leaders spoke to a crowd in Little Havana on Wednesday.
“What we’re all demanding is solidarity from the White House, action from the White House,” said U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. “As of now, it seems that they only want to listen to the folks who have been the apologists for the regime.”
McCarthy said he has a question he would like to ask the commander in chief.
“How can you stay quiet when you know what is going on?” he said. “It should not be a Republican or Democrat issue. This is an issue about America, about freedom and the future of the world.”
Republican leaders asked the Biden administration to do more to help liberate Cuba from communism after Cubans held demonstrations throughout the island in mid-July.
“You cannot be the leader of the free world to believe what happened on July 11th, 12th and 13th is about COVID. It’s about freedom,” said McCarthy.
In late July, Biden proposed the expansion of internet on the island nation to keep the Cuban people connected to the rest of the world.
“We’re going to continue to add sanctions on individuals who carry out the regime’s abuses,” Biden said.
Salazar said restoring the internet in Cuba needs to happen immediately.
“May the Lord help President Biden to understand, because if you do not do it, we will do it from Miami and from the state of Florida,” she said.
DeSantis backed up Salazar.
“If the U.S. government won’t do it, if we can do it in Florida, if there’s a company that can do it, we’ll work to do it,” he said.
Biden also called for the addition of more personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Havana and sanctions on the Cuban government.
“I’ve directed the State Department and Treasury Department to provide me in one month recommendations of how to maximize the flow of remittances to the Cuban people without the Cuban military taking their cut.”
Republican leaders insist these efforts are not enough.
“So far, there’s been a lack of leadership,” said DeSantis. “There’s been no sense of urgency, there’s been no desire to seize the moment, and quite frankly, I feel that they are just kind of hoping it all just goes away.”
“We want the Cuban regime simply, very simply, to leave,” said U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla.
The panel that met on Thursday morning also discussed similar issues in countries like Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Biden said he and his administration are looking at potential further actions to take on the situation in Cuba.
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