DC rally to support Cuban protesters organized by Largo man

WASHINGTON D.C. - Thousands of Cuban refugees and pro-democracy demonstrators are expected to gather outside the White House on Monday in an attempt to show their support for protesters in Cuba who’ve spent weeks rallying against their own government.

The demonstration will start at 2 p.m. in front of the White House. Demonstrators will then march to the Cuban Embassy.

The rally, organized by Alian Collazo of Largo, is an attempt to keep the pressure on our White House to do more to support the pro-democracy movement in Cuba.

"This is not just a Cuba and Cuban American issue. This is not just a south Florida issue. I think that’s important for the world to know," said Collazo. "The Cuban regime is a dangerous regime that destabilizes the world and the Western Hemisphere."

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Earlier this month, Cubans gathered for the largest protests the island nation has seen since 1959. The demonstrations have been met with a brutal government crackdown.

That prompted President Joe Biden to impose new sanctions against two government officials responsible for what he says have been, "mass detentions and sham trials that are unjustly sentencing to prison those who dared speak out."

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The U.S. is also working with private companies to restore internet access in Cuba, which was turned off by the regime in response to the protests.

Collazo, who fled Cuba by raft when he was just 8 years old, says it’s vitally important for the U.S. to work towards creating a way for Cubans to freely communicate outside of the bounds of state control.

Despite the attempts to silence dissents, demonstrations have only ramped up and sparked solidarity protests in cities across the globe.  

For more information, follow on Instagram: @Cubanfreedommarch.