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Authorities, organizations and artists of Puerto Rico expressed their solidarity with the Cuban protesters in recent days who have protested inside and outside the island in historic and unprecedented demonstrations.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi affirmed that Puerto Ricans join the demand for freedom for Cubans. “The Cuban people are in the streets and are demanding their rights. We stand in solidarity with our brothers in Cuba and the Puerto Rican people join their demand for freedom,” he said on his official Twitter account.
“We must end the dictatorial regime so that Cubans know the democracy of a government for the people. We are with you,” the governor added.
For her part, Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jenniffer González-Colón, has replied to information concerning the latest events in the territory.
“I support the people of Cuba who are rising up once again today in protest for freedom and democracy that have been denied to them for more than 62 years under the Castro regime and its tyrants,” she said.
He also urged the United States and the international community to support the Cuban protesters in their struggle against oppression.
The commissioner condemned the Castro regime’s practices to silence, intimidate and repress Cuban protesters on the island.
“Despite the regime’s attempts to silence the demand for democracy in Cuba, coupled with systematic intimidation and persecution that for years has caused many to flee and even die. They will not succeed. Those of us who love democracy will continue to support the people’s demand to live in freedom,” she said.
The President of the House of Representatives, Rafael “Tatito” Hernández, also expressed his solidarity with the Cuban cause for freedom.
For his part, one of the representatives of Cuban exiles in Puerto Rico, José García Pino, of Cubanos Unidos, called for a demonstration in solidarity at 3:00 p.m. this Tuesday at Hostos Park, Ponce de León Avenue, in Santurce.
“Due to the massive uprisings and popular protests that have occurred in Cuba, where the Cuban people are demanding the freedoms violated by the ruling dictatorial regime, the Cuban exile community in Puerto Rico is in full solidarity with our compatriots on the island of Cuba,” the letter reads.
With this call they intend to denounce the human rights violations and repression with which the military forces of the regime have repressed the peaceful protests of the Cuban people.
Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin spoke out on his Instagram regarding the situation. “This is very important. Our brothers and sisters in Cuba need us to inform the world what they are experiencing today. Let’s fill the networks before they take down the internet in the country. Humanitarian aid for Cuba NOW,” he wrote in the caption of a video of the streets of the municipality of San Antonio.
For his part, Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi dedicated his words of support to the Cuban demonstrators: “Wishing much strength to our Cuban brothers who are fighting for peace and freedom.”
The “spark” of the Cuban protesters
Last Sunday, July 11, nobody imagined that a protest directed at the authorities in the municipality of San Antonio de los Baños would become the spark for many other protests in the country and the world.
These protests have been described by Amnesty International as unprecedented and historic because in more than 60 years the right to demonstrate publicly and peacefully has been violated by the communist regime.
“In a historic day for Cuba, thousands of people took to the streets in peaceful demonstrations in various parts of the country, exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It is unacceptable that the Cuban government has denied them these rights for decades and continues to deny them today,” said a statement from the non-governmental organization.
