Little has changed in Cuba, a month after protests for freedom on the island

By CBSMiami.com Team

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    MIAMI, FL (WFOR) — Like any typical day in Little Havana, strategy plays out at Domino Park.

Just 330 miles to the south, a stark contrast. One month after Cubans protested in the streets, not much is known.

“The information coming from Cuba is a lot less. We don’t know exactly what’s happening from day to day. We’re still seeing video from things happening on the street once in the while and in the hospitals. They’re still not getting care. There’s just a lot less information coming out of Cuba right now,” said Stephanie Cepero of Cuban Freedom March.

Cepero is the operations director for Cuban Freedom March, which helped organize many of the demonstrations and rallies in Miami.

Local protestors marched pretty much every day for a month ago, but have since fizzled.

So it begs the question, are these local protests doing any good?

“A lot of people gave up on Cuba and that’s why it’s been so long that it’s been like this. I think to give up now would be senseless, because now they’re uprising and that’s the difference, right? That they want to be heard. And yesterday, I think we saw a huge movement in the right direction with the Senate voting unanimously to get internet in Cuba.”

Cepero believes what Cubans saw online and on social media, before the Cuban government cut internet service, is what gave them courage to rise up for the first time in 60 years.

“To see what the free world lives like compared to what they live like, that’s going to set a fire to see that everywhere else has basic human rights and freedom and you don’t.”

On the island, to Cepero’s knowledge, little has changed, still no internet, hours-long waits in food lines, and poor medical care.

Protests there have slowed to a smattering, once again, because of a strong-armed government.

“All of the people that have been taken to jail, political prisoners, 800-people disappeared. Some have come back, others we still don’t know their whereabouts. That’s going to impact how many people are comfortable going out.”

Here in South Florida, the marches are fewer.

Raising awareness for the plight of the Cuban people is exhausting.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily burnout as much as dialing it back to avoid burnout. Trying to plan around that. Organizing things with more time. Instead of trying to have something everyday. Now, we’re planning a march for two weeks from now, planning a march for the next month.”

“So, what’s happening in Cuba?” Zoom calls is being held. It’s a chance to hear from different informed Cuban Americans.

Meanwhile, as the “clickety-clack” of a classic game continues in Little Havana, marches are being planned for different cities until Cuba is free.

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