(WSNN) – We’ve heard stories from some parents and grandparents about what’s happening in Cuba, but what about the younger generation?
Two Cuban Americans in their 20s with one goal.
“We want freedom,” Cuban-American Millenial from Tampa, Vrena Puentes said.
“We don’t want the dictatorship anymore,” Cuban-American Millenial from Sarasota, Raymond Sanchez said. “Cuba’s never been free. It’s time for Cuba to be free.”
Puentes and Sanchez were born in Cuba and came to America at a young age. Puentes came on political asylum with her family and Sanchez’s family got a lottery to come to the United States.
“My great-grandpa, and my mom’s, aunt’s, my grandma, all of them; because of their sacrifices, I have the life I have today.”
“I’m here because of them‚ they are my family too,” Sanchez said. “And I’m going to be the voice that they don’t have.”
They feel the pain for Cuba, knowing their homeland has been suffering for 62 years.
“I was born in Cuba, so that should be my life, I just got lucky,” Puentes said. “I should be over there fighting for rights.”
“I can go out stand up for Cubans, go out and protest, but then I come home to a bed. I come home to a nice AC, have food in my fridge, have everything that I need. They don’t. They don’t know if someone is going to come into their house, snatch them up, and put them in prison.”
When the Cuban government shut off the internet, it became difficult for Puentes to talk to her aunt in Cuba. But when she does get those few lucky moments to chat with her, Puentes listens.
“I don’t when this is going to shut off, so I would rather be like, I love you, I’ll talk to you later, then you be worried,” Puentes said.
So, what’s happening right now? The latest on President Diaz-Canal…
“He is basically doing his own protest in favor of the government and then threatening people if they don’t do it, they’re going to lose either their career or their job or their studies,” Puentes said.
Both these millennials want to do their part to continue spreading the message that Cuban citizens want freedom.
“It’s not about the embargo, it’s not about COVID vaccines, it’s about people getting so fed up with living such a miserable life that they’d rather die than live in their country,” Puentes said.
Puentes is currently getting a master’s in physician assistant studies.
“I am only succeeding on the backs of my family and the backs of people still in Cuba,” Puentes said.
Sanchez owns his own home.
“I will never be able to repay what they’ve done for me, I can just hope to make them proud right now.
Last week, President Biden talked about opening remittances. And Cuban president Diaz Canal is allowing people to send in food and medicine to Cuba.
