Rep. Demings Meets with Cuban Community Leaders
U.S. Rep. Val Demings speaks in Orlando during a Juneteenth celebration at Bronze Kingdom Saturday, June 19, 2021. Photo: Mellissa Thomas/Florida National News.
Orlando, FL: Last night Rep. Val Demings met with leaders in Central Florida’s Cuban community to discuss strategies to support the people of Cuba, as well as Cubans and Cuban-Americans living in Florida. The meeting included business owners, attorneys, and educators living in Central Florida. Among the topics discussed were the Cuban protests, open access to the internet,, the economy, food and medical availability, the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration from the island, the safety of the Cuban people from repression, and the country’s political future.
Said Rep. Demings: “We had a frank and open conversation with members of Central Florida’s Cuban community. We discussed the urgent need to stand with the protesters in Cuba, ensure that the internet can remain a lifeline to connect the Cuban people to their families in the United States, and protect the health, safety and prosperity of all people in Cuba and in Florida. The voices of the Cuban people must be paramount. It is their nation’s future being decided.
“The communist and socialist regime in Cuba has delivered tyranny instead of freedom, poverty instead of prosperity, and unrest and COVID-19 instead of safety. Democracy and a free economy are the right path forward. I call on U.S. officials to continue engaging with Florida’s Cuban community as we proceed with tangible steps to fight for the Cuban people’s safety, liberty, and ability to freely choose their own futures. Patria y Vida.”