Washington, Jul 18 : Hundreds of people have gathered near the White House in Washington DC for the so-called “SOS Cuba” rally held in solidarity with the ongoing protests on the island.
The crowd of at least a thousand people was chanting “Freedom for Cuba,” and singing the national anthem of Cuba as well as other Cuban songs.
People were holding banners saying “Cuba Needs US intervention now,” “Biden, Step Up,” “SOS Freedom for Cuba,” “Now or Never, Free Cuba.”
The rally was peaceful and, according to some of the participants, they did not have any organizers. Some protesters came with small children and many were seen having picnics in a nearby park.
Small numbers of law enforcement officers were present but not interfering with the protests .
Olivia Valdes, a Cuban residing in Miami, told Sputnik that a lot of people participating in the rally came to the US capital from Florida.
“I have been here for four days already waiting for my people to come. They finally did it, we are finally here. We are protesting so that the President [Joe Biden] can do something for the freedom of the people,” Valdes said.
When asked how long they plan to continue with the protests, Valdes said, “It’s the thing form the heart. We can be here until Biden decides to do something.”
Mildred Jova, a Cuban who has been living in the United States since 2007, told Sputnik that people in Cuba want a change and for the US government to “intervene to help people who are starving.”
US restrictions on trade with Cuba date back to the island nation’s communist revolution in the late 1950s and involve at least a half dozen different US laws. President Barack Obama took steps to normalize bilateral relations with the island, but many of those steps were reversed by the former administration of Donald Trump. Over the four years, the Trump administration added 243 new economic sanctions to toughen the embargo on Cuba.
On June 23, the United States voted against a UN General Assembly resolution condemning the embargo on Cuba, which was adopted by the overwhelming majority of 184 other nations.
UNI/SPUTNIK
