LIBERTAD!

Over the weekend, the cuban people took to the streets to protest decades of communist oppression— it seemed to stem from the deepening economic crisis as a result of the pandemic. there are reports that arbitrary arrests are being made of protestors and journalists— in certain areas, the government has cut off internet access. in classic fashion, the cuban government has accused the u.s. of attempting to DESTABILIZE the situation— if DESTABILIZATION consists of eliminating tyrannical rule, then i’d wear that accusation as a badge of honor.

i whipped up this piece real quick after hearing about the protests on sunday— cuban PROTESTERS in tampa, standing in solidarity with those physically in cuba, were waving american flags and chanting “LIBERTAD!”— the spanish word for freedom, or liberty. I’ve always found it ironic that those who have lived under truly tyrannical rule find the american flag as a symbol of freedom, whereas those who have not treat it as a symbol of imperialism or colonialism. it’s easy to to get lost in your PRIVILEGE and berate a nation who has secured freedom for more people in the world than you can fathom— but refugees who flee to america for a better life have much more of a leg to stand on.

years ago, at a state of the union address, barack obama said one of my favorite quotes of all time—

“when the world is in trouble, they don’t call on moscow or beijing— they call washington, they call on the united states of america.”

The world is watching, cuba— We stand with you.