The Cuban-American businessman Iván Herrera, founder and CEO of Univista Insurance, traveled this Tuesday from Miami to Washington alongside two prominent figures of the Cuban exile —Remedios Díaz-Oliver and Lilliam S. Machado— to convey the message of the exiled community to Congress representatives and the Trump administration in favor of Cuba's freedom.
"Cuba will be more present than ever in Washington, with all the representatives, with President Trump, and we want the voice to be heard, not just ours, but that of the Cubans who are suffering in Cuba, of those mothers who have their children imprisoned, of those people who are dying day by day on the island," Herrera stated in a video posted on Instagram before departing.
Herrera, born in Alquízar (Artemisa) in 1973 and arriving in Florida as a raft migrant at the age of 23, founded Univista Insurance in 2009 and turned it into one of the largest insurers in the country, with over 220 offices and 3,000 employees. His figure embodies the narrative of a successful exile that ties any investment or normalization to a real political change on the island.
Alongside him traveled Remedios Díaz-Oliver, co-founder of All American Containers and one of the most recognized Cuban-American businesswomen. Exiled in 1961 after being imprisoned for protesting against the regime, she was in 1968 the first woman to receive the "E" Award for Excellence in Exporting, presented by President Lyndon Johnson.
"Lilliam and Remedios represent the spirit of a generation that did not give up, that did not remain silent, and that has bravely defended the right of Cuba to be free," Herrera wrote on Instagram.
The trip to Washington coincided with the Free Cuba Rally held at Milander Park in Hialeah, where thousands of Cuban Americans chanted "Cuba Next!" demanding President Trump take action against the Cuban regime following its actions against Venezuela.
The mayor of Hialeah, Bryan Calvo, was one of the keynote speakers. "The Cuban people have waited long enough," he stated.
In that same event, thousands of exiles shouted "Cuba Next" in a direct message to the Trump administration to shift its focus to the island following the pressures on Venezuela.
Herrera had already clearly stated his position on March 18, when he openly rejected the regime's proposal to allow investments by Cubans abroad, calling it "absurd and immoral."
"There will not be a single cent of investment from American businessmen in Cuba until the Cubans are free," he stated, adding: "Anyone who respects themselves will not invest in the Castro dictatorship."
"Cuba is not forgotten, Cuba is not abandoned, and Cuba will be free," wrote Herrera when announcing his trip, in a phrase that encapsulates the spirit of a day when the Cuban exile community sought to make their voice heard in the halls of power in Washington.
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