South Florida marks one year since historic Cuba protests, state GOP slams Biden administration "We will not stay quiet"

MIAMI - As South Florida marks one year since the historic demonstrations in Cuba, some of the state's top GOP leaders took it as an opportunity to criticize the Biden administration.

"We will not stay quiet, we will not standby unlike the Biden administration," said Florida Lt. Governor Jeanette Núñez at an event in Doral flanked by several South Florida Republican heavyweights.

They called on the administration to do more to address the injustices of Cuba's communist government.

"We're deeply disappointed that in the year that has passed, this administration has done absolutely nothing on the issue of Cuba," said U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. "At best it's been stagnant, at worst the Biden administration's response to Cuba has been appeasement."

It was a year ago, that thousands of Cubans poured onto the streets after days of power cuts by the government. Some protestors live-streamed the events where people spoke out about the lack of food, medicine, and basic freedoms.

Within hours, the uprising spread in regions throughout the country, marking the largest anti-government protests in Cuba since the 1959 revolution.

"They knew the consequences, they knew the regime would respond with its usual ferocity," said state U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart.

The gathered elected officials called on the Biden administration to demand the release of hundreds of people arrested after participating in the peaceful protests last year.

"According to human rights groups, about 1,400 Cubans were detained including 45 children," said Diaz-Balart.

Rubio pointed to an increased number of Cuban migrants who risk their lives on dangerous journeys by boat to South Florida as another sign of the dire situation on the communist island.

The Florida Democratic Party party issued a statement which read in part:

"A year ago today, the people of Cuba said enough and took to the streets armed with their desire and cry for freedom in peaceful protests against the communist regime. Any hope for change was quickly met with even greater repression by a tyranny holding on to a failed and cruel economic and political model. Instead, the Cuban regime once again refused to listen to its people, shattered the cry for freedom, the cry for Patria y Vida, not death." 

The statement noted that hundreds of peaceful protestors were beaten, arrested, and jailed. The laws were then changed to make it clear that demonstrations against the government would not be tolerated.

"The regime changed the penal code to criminalize and make clear that no freedom of speech or any criticism against the government will be tolerated and met with even harsher penalties," according to the statement.

"The Castro-Canel cruel dictatorship continues to silence the voice of its people in the most cowardly way, murdering and imprisoning those who have the courage to speak out."

"As Democrats, we must continue to stand with the oppressed people of Cuba in their quest for freedom. We must continue to denounce the Cuban regime's human rights abuses against its people, and we must remain committed to empowering the people of Cuba so they can enjoy the freedoms every human being deserves."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked the one year passing on Twitter. 

 
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also weighed on Twitter.

There are a number of events scheduled for Monday in a show of solidarity with the people of Cuba.

At 6 p.m., there will be the prayer of the rosary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity organized by Mothers Against Repression.

At 7 p.m., there will be a musical and artistic event in commemoration of the July 11 uprising at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora.

At 7:45 p.m., there will be a march down SW 8th Street to the Bay of Pigs Monument.

In:
• Cuba
• Miami