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Cuban-American Hollywood star Andy Garcia expressed his solidarity with the protests in Cuba against the communist dictatorship of the Castros and Miguel Diaz-Canel and said that the more than six decades “of tyranny and repression” must come to an end.
“62 years of tyranny and repression must come to an end,” Garcia wrote in the first of several posts on Instagram in support of the Cuban people. “62 years of tyranny and repression must end. We stand with our Cuban brothers fighting for their most basic human rights. Liberty from the Castro regime is upon us. Let the fight be fueled by truth, compassion, and the absolute right of a every human to be free. Viva Cuba Libre!”
In subsequent posts, the Ocean’s Eleven actor called for freedom for Cubans after 62 years of “crimes against humanity” and shared quotes from heroes José Martí and Simón Bolívar.
García also echoed the statements of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, who considered it “fundamental” that the Caribbean island “recovers its sovereignty” since Latin America “should not harbor dictatorships.”
Celebrities against Cuban communism
Andy Garcia joins the list of Cuban-American celebrities who have expressed their solidarity with the protests against the Castro regime. Among them, Latin pop superstar Gloria Estefan posted images of Cubans in the streets demanding freedom. “The Cuban people are reaching their breaking point!” wrote Estefan.
For her part, the singer also of Cuban descent, Camila Cabello said that Cubans “need our help urgently” and that they are protesting against “a humanitarian crisis.”
Cuban-American musician Willy Chirino also joined his compatriots, calling for the end of the dictatorship in his country: “Down with the dictatorship!” he wrote in his publication.
Last Sunday, July 11, Cuban citizens took to the streets of several cities in the island nation, peacefully protesting against the communist regime to which they have been subjected for more than sixty years.
Since then, the Castro regime has detained more than 400 people, including activists, artists and journalists, according to Human Rights Watch reports. The Diaz-Canel dictatorship has also shut down access to social networks, limiting Cubans’ ability to communicate with each other and the world.
Authorities in the United States, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican Congresswoman and Cuban-American journalist María Elvira Salazar, have asked President Joe Biden to provide satellite internet to Cubans on the island to prevent the regime from silencing them and to allow them to share with the world the drama that today dominates their streets.
