CHARLOTTE, North Carolina.- Under the cry of “freedom”, the Cuban exile in North Carolina took the streets of Charlotte in support of the historic demonstrations on the island in more than 60 years.
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“A social outbreak product of a series of situations that have worsened over time. The main thing is that people have already woken up. People understood that they live in a dictatorship and they came out peacefully to protest, “said Reynaldo Barrera, a Cuban resident of Charlotte.
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Barrera is one of the Cubans in exile who for the third day in a row they take to the streets of downtown Charlotte to “raise awareness” of the crisis in his native country. He claims that beyond the shortage and the health crisis, the Cuban people “came out to defend their right to be free.”
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The protests began in San Antonio de los Baños, spreading through Palma Soriano, Havana, Artemisa, Santiago de Cuba, Pinar del Río and Ciego de Ávila, among other cities.
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“Communication with the island was completely cut off”
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Social networks have been the main means of disseminating the crisis in Cuba. Barrera, whose family still resides on the island, condemned the blocking of communication.
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“Immediately the Government knocked down Internet accesses and communication with the island was completely cut off. It is not known what is happening,” he declared.
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“A free Cuba: we don’t want more communism”
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Both Cubans in exile agree that the people on the island “do not want more communism” Y they condemned the repression of those who have raised their voices in the streets.
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“A free Cuba, we do not want more communism and that people can go out and express themselves. They are abusing the people,” León stressed.
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Caravana a Washington D.C.
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Since the protests began in his native Cuba, Cuban exile in Charlotte meets at 6:30 pm in front of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center at 600 E 4th St. Another group is organizing a rally in Raleigh on July 24; then they will go to the White House.
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“There is going to be a massive caravan. We will meet on July 25th in Washington DC to express ourselves on the 26th in front of the White House; so that Joe Biden can see the thousands of Cubans,” Barrera concluded.
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According to the report of Census from 2017, North Carolina is the ninth state with the most Cuban-Americans with 26,520 inhabitants. Florida, California and New Jersey have the largest community of Cubans in exile.
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“There is no medicine, no food”: Cubans in NC protest the crisis in their native country
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