HOUSTON — Protesters are taking to the streets to support the people of Cuba who are calling for the end of the Communist Party that has governed the island for more than six decades.
The protests even brought Houston's rush hour traffic to a standstill on Tuesday.
So why would the situation in Cuba, which is about 90 miles from Florida, have an impact in Houston? And how are people in Houston planning on getting involved?
In Houston, supporters of the people say Cubans can't peacefully protest in their own country without fear of retaliation, so they plan to be their voice until they're no longer oppressed.
Widhner Ballester chanted "Libertad" while taking part in the protests in Houston on Tuesday. That means "freedom" in Spanish.
Ballester, a former Cuban judge-turned activist, has been living in Houston for about three years. He said his country has been held under a vicious dictatorship for 62 years.
"Cubans don't have food. They have no money. They have no jobs. Cubans have no medicine for anything, not just COVID-19. Cubans don't have access to medical care. Cubans don't have transportation. Cubans practically don't have human rights. They don't live with dignity," he said.
Protests erupted across Cuba on Sunday against the Communist government. The demonstrators are demanding change and want a say in what happens in their country.
Dr. Luis Duno-Gottberg is a Professor of Caribbean and Film Studies at Rice University.
"The scale of this event over the last few days ... it's been enormous. It's happened in many parts of the island. It's not only in Havana but in many, many different provinces," Duno-Gottberg said.
Duno-Gottberg said the biggest fear of people living there is that things will stay the same. Others said they hope that's not the case this time around.
"The response of the army and the police has been so massive that it speaks to the fear that they have of this popular movement. So I don't think, even though I cannot tell you what exactly is going to happen, I can tell you, and I can bet that things won't be the same," Duno-Gottberg said.
Ballester said he doesn't know if shutting down traffic in Houston is the right thing to do, but he said at least it makes people pay attention.
"We have tried that, not just Houston, I repeat, not just Houston, but the world until it realizes and becomes sensitized to what's happening in Cuba," Ballester said.
Ballester said they'll continue to protest until Cuba is free.
"If I one day die and I'm born again, I want to be born in Cuba and be Cuban once again," he said.