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South Florida Cuban Americans continue to offer support to Cuban protests

Protests in Cuba last for week
Posted at 6:10 PM, Jul 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-18 18:10:07-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It has now been a week since people in Cuba started protesting on the island.

It's a historic move that hasn't been seen in decades in the communist country.

A rally for Cuba took place Sunday afternoon in front of City Hall in downtown West Palm Beach.

Protesters held signs and sang the Cuban national anthem.

Cuban Americans in South Florida are demanding freedom and freedom of speech for Cuba.

The historic protests in the island nation have sparked an outpouring of support in Florida. The state is home to the nation's largest community of Cuban exiles.

"Work doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the government. Ideologically, that is wrong," said U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla. "Then get out and call on your government, officials like myself and others across the state to support it at the federal level, if we sit on the foreign affairs committee or other places to say, find that support for Cuba."

A candlelight vigil was scheduled for Sunday evening at Jose Marti Park in West Palm Beach.

"Now, today, is the moment," said Cuban American Nerelys Hernandez. "So how many years are you and the United States behind Cuba, and all the worlds, not only the United States, all the world behind Cuba? Now is the moment."