House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and the Leaders’ Advisory Team on Cuba sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting a meeting to discuss how they can work together to end the “oppressive regime in Havana and liberate the Cuban people.”
“After years of torment, arbitrary imprisonments, brutality, corruption, and human rights abuses, the Cuban people have taken to the streets in protest,” the group wrote. In their letter, the Republicans described the “largest protests in years” that are happening in Cuba and across the United States.
They noted that because of this, “the communist regime decided to block access to the Internet, brutally suppress the protests by attacking and jailing protestors, and refuse to acknowledge the Cuban people’s desires for a better life and freedom.” However, despite all of this, they wrote, “Cuban people and their allies in Congress refuse to be deterred.”
“This is a moment when the United States can change the course of human history for the better,” the group of Republicans explained. “The United States is a bastion of freedom and democracy; a beacon across the globe for those seeking to toss away their shackles of communist oppression.”
“We must support our Cuban brothers and sisters as they seek to take control of their future and liberate themselves from the communist malignancy,” they added.
Due to all of this, the group is requesting a meeting with Biden, saying they would like “to discuss how Congress and your Administration can work together to bring an end to the oppressive communist regime in Havana and liberate the Cuban people.”
“Now is the time to act,” they finished. McCarthy said in a tweet:
I just requested a meeting with the White House to discuss how to best support the Cuban people in their quest for liberty against the oppressive regime in Havana. The world is watching—this is a moment when the U.S. can change the course of human history for the better.
The letter from the Republicans comes after Biden met with Cuban-American celebrities, such as Gloria and Emilio Estefan, and Andy Garcia, on a Zoom video conference call, instead of with lawmakers.
Biden has been faced with pressure to act as part of his administration has struggled when addressing the many protests. They have falsely claimed the protests are about the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
However, in response to the protests in Cuba, Cuban State Security officials opened fire on the crowds of protesters where they are largely impoverished and unarmed protestors.