El Proteston Cubano
By Alizee Chaudey
At 8:30am yesterday, the traffic on Coral Way was held up by a caravan of cars and bicycles. As loud honking woke up the neighborhood and Cuban music played out of car’s speakers filled the streets, people stopped to watch the convoy. Every last Sunday of the month, Jorge Medina, a.k.a El Proteston Cubano on Youtube, rallies his community for a caravan in protest of the embargo on Cuba and the current travel ban between Cuba and the United States.
“Today we’re here because we’re tired of seeing Miami have only one discussion about Cubans that think alike,” Says Medina, “here there are Cubans that don’t think alike and want to see change- To cancel the embargo because it hurts all Cubans.” Medina’s caravan, organized with the support of the U.S Hands Off Cuba and Venezuela South Florida Coalition, has allowed Miami’s Cuban democrats to not only find a sense of community, but a place to share their voices.
The U.S Hands Off Cuba and Venezuela South Florida Coalition was founded two years ago, “We were formed in response to the attempts by the US to stage a coup in Venezuela. Since then, because it's so tied up with the offensive against Cuba, we became more involved on both issues.” Explains Peter Seidman, activist. The U.S Hands Off Cuba and Venezuela South Florida Coalition’s position on the subject of the embargo? “Don't take position on what you think of the Government of Cuba, Venezuela, just ‘U.S Hands Off’- you know that the intervention is wrong.” The Coalition decided to collaborate with ‘El Proteston Cubano’ not only because of their similar ideas, but because “he reflects something organic that's growing within the Cuban community of Miami, which we think is very important, because there's a myth that Cubans in Miami are just all reactionary supporters of Trump,” Said Seidman. “We didn't know about the first [caravan], there was 11 people. But we heard [Medina’s] call for the second. There was about 15 bikes and 30 cars. And I expect this one will be much bigger- I’m hoping.”
Peter Seidman was right, the September caravan was the biggest one yet- On September 28th, Cubans of Miami united to demand the right to, above all, see their families.