Hundreds of Cuban Americans gathered this Tuesday at Milander Park in Hialeah, Florida, to celebrate the Free Cuba Rally in Hialeah, a massive event organized by the exile community where the chant "Cuba Next!" echoed for three hours as a direct call to President Donald Trump to prioritize the liberation of the island in light of his actions in Venezuela and other countries.
The event, organized by the city of Hialeah in collaboration with the Cuban Anti-Communist Foundation, brought together political leaders, activists, and top artists. The clip, posted by the X account @mplpodcast305 (Mostly Peaceful Latinas), garnered thousands of reactions and comments within just a few hours.
The attendees waved Cuban flags, chanted "Freedom," and wore hats with the slogans "Make Cuba Great Again" and "Cuba Libre", as well as t-shirts featuring the phrase "Homeland and Life".
The mayor of Hialeah, Bryan Calvo, was one of the keynote speakers and set the tone for the event with a powerful statement: "The Cuban people have waited long enough. This gathering celebrates their unwavering spirit in the face of the undeniable regime change".
Alongside Calvo, the following speakers took the floor: Alexander Otaola, president of the Cuban Anticommunist Foundation; Rosa María Payá, from Steps for Change; Orlando Boronat, from the Assembly for Resistance; and José Daniel Ferrer, a historic leader of UNPACU, who was forcibly exiled to Miami in October 2025 after decades of imprisonment and repression in Cuba.
Also participating was the Cuban-American state senator Ileana García, who emphasized the need for pressure to be applied on Washington in light of the humanitarian crisis on the island.
In the artistic realm, Yotuel Romero, Gente de Zona, El B, Los 3 de La Habana, Amaury Gutiérrez, Kamankola, El Inva, and Lena Burke performed. Yotuel and El Chacal took advantage of the stage to present "Puente Libertad," their new song featuring Jacob Forever, released a few days ago, whose lyrics envision a bridge from Miami to Havana as a symbol of reunification.
The rally occurs at a time of maximum pressure from the Cuban exile community on Trump to take action against the Díaz-Canel regime. On January 29, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency regarding Cuba and blocking oil imports to the island, cutting between 27,000 and 35,000 barrels per day.
The measure has caused blackouts of up to 20 and 25 hours daily, shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, and a projected economic contraction of 7.2% of GDP in 2026, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which would amount to a decline of 23% since 2019.
The New York Times described the measure as "the first effective blockade since the Cuban Missile Crisis." Trump even proposed a "friendly takeover" of Cuba and urged Havana to "make a deal before it's too late."
According to reports, Trump is said to have a plan ready to change the Cuban regime. On March 13, Díaz-Canel publicly confirmed that his government was holding diplomatic talks with the United States, and Cuba released 51 political prisoners as part of those negotiations.
Hialeah, a city with approximately 80% of Cuban-American residents, has established itself as the political epicenter of the exile community and the natural hub for such demonstrations.
Alexander Otaola closed the night with a phrase that captured the feeling of the event: "The freedom of Cuba is very close" and "freedom can be felt in the air."
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