CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte man who fled Cuba in search of freedom is supporting the largest anti-government protest in his home country.
What You Need To Know
Amittay Rodriguez lived in Cuba for 45 years before fleeing the country in 2009
Cubans are protesting food and medicine shortages in the largest demonstrations in decades
Rodriguez is supportive of the anti-government protests in Cuba
Thousands of Cubans took over the streets to protest food and medicine shortages. Some residents went days without power or waited in long lines to get basic goods.
Ammitay Rodriguez lived in Cuba for 45 years. He said it was a tough situation.
“We had difficulties getting food, getting clothes and transportation,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also said the Cuban government persecuted him because they didn’t trust his humanitarian organization that brought in medicine to the island.
“The situation became so tense, my wife and I made the decision to leave Cuba,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez, who is now a U.S. citizen, moved to the U.S. from Cuba in 2009. He and his family unsuccessfully tried to escape the island on a makeshift boat in 2005. Four years later, they made it to the U.S. by land.
“My family and I were crying of excitement, and the first word that came out of my mouth was freedom. It was an unforgettable moment,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez, who is one of the founders and the director of pastoral care at Camino Community Center, has mixed emotions when it comes to the protests back in Cuba.
“It gives me hope seeing Cubans are not fearful anymore, but at the same time, I’m afraid because they are fighting against the government, unarmed, making it uneven,” Rodriguez said.
Director of the Institute of Public Policy at Florida International University, Brian Fonseca has been studying Cuba for years, including the political and international relation matters involving the island.
He said these anti-government demonstrations are rare in the communist country and the largest in decades.
“I think this surpasses the 90's and the 60's and it was overwhelming,” Fonseca said.
They come after the pandemic aggravated the worsening economy, which Fonseca said started going in a downward spiral in 2006.
“I think that's an indication of sort of pent up frustration but also just sort of overwhelming for the government, because they haven't had to deal with that because they've been very tactical in terms of picking off opposition,” Fonseca said.
Earlier this week, the Cuban government announced it would lift restrictions on the food and medicine travelers bring into the country.
The protests have been smaller in numbers since Sunday after the government restricted internet access.
President Joe Biden said he is looking into ways of reinstating access to internet. However, he said he is not considering reinstating remittances from the U.S. to Cuba over concerns the Cuban government would confiscate the money.