14ymedio, 23 February 2016 – The Democratic Movement and the Mambisa Vigil, Cuban exile groups in Miami, are preparing a protest that will take place off the coast of Cuba coinciding with President Barack Obama’s visit to the island on 21-22 March.
The details of the protest will be announced this coming Thursday, but the leaders of both organizations explained their intentions to the Mexican news agency Notimex, saying that they firmly believe that the historic visit will only serve to legitimate a repressive, single-party regime that has perpetuated itself in power for decades.
“We want to confront Cuba with a presence demanding free elections when Raul Castro leaves the throne and not a hand-picked successor,” Ramon Saul Sanchez from the Democratic Movement told Notimex. The activist, who considers the Cuban government terrorists, has been imprisoned on several occasions, undertaken several hunger strikes, and led fleets of boats into Cuban waters. “We are going to advocate for the reunification of the Cuban family,” he added.
The Mexican news agency also spoke with Miguel Saavedra, from Mambisa VIgil, who said his protest action will take place outside the Versailles restaurant on 8th Street in MIami, where they regularly hold their protests.
“President Obama is trying to do whatever he can to make Congress see we can do some kind of business with Cuba and to get them to lift the trade embargo” lamented Saavedra.
