MIAMI, Fla. – Cars covered with messages of freedom and liberty, posters, and plenty of Cuban flags surround a group of people who are gathering in Miami as they get ready to head to the nation’s capital.
The idea they have is to drive 15 hours throughout the night and then, a large group will demonstrate near the White House, calling for action from the U.S. government.
Organizers that we spoke with said they’ve received calls from groups in states throughout the country – from Texas, New Mexico and Nevada, all saying they were planning to meet up in Washington, D.C.
Maribel Ramirez, who organized the caravan, said that it is vital that the U.S. government support the families that are in Cuba.
“The Cuban community, they are dying because they don’t even have food, they don’t even have a right or the freedoms to express themselves. . . They need health care support. Right now, they don’t have that in Cuba. That is why we’re here because they need support.”
As the caravan drives through Florida to Washington, D.C., they are expecting to pick up more supporters in West Palm Beach. A bus carrying people from Hialeah will join the group when it reaches its destination and Ramirez said there will be others from Orlando and Tampa that will meet them.
Their plans are to drive through the evening Friday to arrive to demonstrate in front of the White House at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
While they understand the U.S. does not want to do an intervention, they do say that they want the government to hear them and that they should step in and help with medical needs and other necessities.