‘We have family members right now that all they have is water to drink.’ | Support for Cuban protestors grows in Charlotte

Members from Charlotte community comes together in support of protest in Cuba

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The Charlotte community came together tonight to support protestors in Cuba. The Camino Church hosted a prayer service for Cubans protesting food and medicine shortages, rising inflation, and constant power outages.

They shared stories of torture, abuse, and starvation. The Cuban Americans who attended this Charlotte service today told them they have relatives in Cuba who are surviving on just water. And their biggest hope is that the Biden administration will intervene.

“We have family members right now that all they have is water to drink. We can’t get in touch with them,” said Vivian Marquez, “They have no food, they turned off the power.”

The people of Cuba have been through h many hardships in the last six decades, but this is the first time people are out protesting in such large numbers in 62 years – making these protests historic. It’s coming at a heavy price.

 “A few days ago, they killed a child that was 13 years old. They killed another one that was 12 years old,” said Yanir Reyez, who grew up in Cuba, “Not only are they killed by beating them up, but they poked their eyes out, they took their teeth out. And these are kids. These are 13-year-old kids!”

Yanir Reyez says his own father was tortured for three months and nearly killed for speaking out for freedom. The Reyez family eventually immigrated to the United States in 1995, but the dark memories are still there.

“When I was in Cuba, there was a lot of times when I only eat in the whole day water and sugar,” Reyez shared with WCNC, “Not because my parents didn’t work, because they did work and they had college degrees – one of my brothers was a doctor, but still we went hungry.”

During the ceremony – a pastor who is in Cuba right now shared his story of protestors gathering around him to protect him from being arrested.  By sharing his story, he puts himself at great risk of being taken away by the Cuban government.

Vivian Marquez is praying that the Biden administration will step in to help the people of Cuba, as the risk of more deaths continues to grow every day.

 “I hope and pray that Cuba will be free,” said Marquez.

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