Pinellas County man organizing Cuban freedom rally in D.C.
Demonstrations continue in support of Cuban freedom
Rallies for Cuba's freedom have been happening across the nation for a week. And now, activists are working on a march for thousands of supporters in our nation's Capitol. FOX 13's Justin Matthews introduces us to one of the organizers from right here in Tampa Bay.
WASHINGTON D.C. - A Cuban freedom rally in Washington D.C. is being organized by Alian Collazo, a Cuban-American who has lived in Pinellas County since he and his family fled the country in 2003.
It is scheduled to be held on Monday, July 26 starting at 2 p.m. in front of the White House. Then around 3:30 p.m., demonstrators will march to the Cuban Embassy.
"We are going to send a message that they need to listen to their people, to our people, that what they’re doing is not unseen and we will not stand for it," said Collazo. "On the 27th, we’re going to have a follow-up where we are going to visit congressional offices and talk about actionable items that they can deliver to the president’s desk to actually get something done, so the voices of the Cuban people are not silenced."
The goal is to have 10,000 people at the rally.
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"That is 1% of the one million Cuban-Americans that live here in Florida and across the United States -- that’s not to count the others who associate as being of Cuban dissent, that is almost 3 million," Collazo said.
Collazo and others helping to organize the rally are planning to have free bus service for those who want to go. They would leave from south Florida, the Tampa area, and New Jersey.
For more information, follow on Instagram: @Cubanfreedommarch.