Miami exiles rally for Cuba freedom after Castro's death
1 Dec 2016 12:54 PM IST1 Dec 2016 12:54 PM IST
A moment of silence was held for those who died trying to escape Cuba by crossing the treacherous Florida Straits.
Hundreds of Cuban exiles in Miami rallied on Wednesday for freedom and democracy on the communist island following the death of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.- At the Miami rally, two men carried a banner that read, Freedom for Cuba is Near if Raul Joins Fidel in Hell.
- Despite all the demands for democracy and change, many Cuban exiles also say their homeland is unlikely to undergo a major transformation as long as Castro's brother, 85-year-old Raul Castro, and his allies remain in charge.
- Shortly after Castro's death at age 90 became public early Saturday, thousands of Cuban-Americans took to the streets for spontaneous celebrations that lasted most of the weekend.
- The Miami area is home to the largest number of the estimated 2 million Cuban-Americans in the US, most of them exiles who long opposed Castro and the communist government. Before dark, a plane circled over the area towing a banner that said, Vive Cuba Libre, which means Long Live Free Cuba.
- Many veterans of that battle remain in Miami and were rally organisers. Speaker Sylvia Iriondo, president of the Mothers and Women Against Repression, called for an end to what she called unilateral concessions made by the administration of President Barack Obama in a recent thaw in relations with Cuba.
- A moment of silence was held for those who died trying to escape Cuba by crossing the treacherous Florida Straits and for those who were killed fighting Castro. Prayers were held for political prisoners.
- People gathered along the city's famed Calle Ocho street in Little Havana, parts of which were blocked off by police. People waved Cuban and American flags, carried signs denouncing Castro and listened to speeches and Cuban music. A podium on a stage included the words, 'All for a Free Cuba.'
Hundreds of Cuban exiles in Miami rallied on Wednesday for freedom and democracy on the communist island following the death of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
A moment of silence was held for those who died trying to escape Cuba by crossing the treacherous Florida Straits.
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