Lisandra Silva calls for freedom for Cuba on Chilean reality show: "My dad didn't get to see it."

The Cuban model and influencer Lisandra Silva starred in an emotional moment on the Chilean reality show "Vecinos al límite," from Canal 13, by sharing the meaning of a painting that depicted Cuba under the slogan "Patria y Vida" and turning the moment into a political and personal message that resonated within the Cuban community.

In a reel posted on his Instagram account, Silva explained to the cameras of the program the meaning of the work: "This painting represents my beautiful country, Cuba, the homeland that saw me born. And it is a country that hurts me a lot."

The model, who emigrated from Havana at 18, openly rejected the official slogan of the Cuban regime "Fatherland or Death" and embraced the phrase that emerged from the artistic community: "Today, death is canceled and there is a new slogan that is 'Fatherland and Life,' because we do not want to continue dying of hunger, continue dying from suffering and oppression; we want to live."

"For me, 'Patria y Vida' speaks of a Cuba that we want to be alive. A Cuba where loving our land also means being able to dream, express ourselves, grow, and live in freedom," he stated.

Lisandra emphasized the significance of her public platform: "Through art, today I have the opportunity to be the voice of an entire country that is crying out for help, for a new life."

The moment was also deeply emotional. Her father, Carlos Silva Sánchez, at the age of 77, just weeks before she entered confinement. "He was very ill, he didn’t get to see it, but I know he is watching from heaven," she wrote in the post that accompanied the video.

Visibly emotional in front of the cameras, she spoke directly through tears: "I love you, Daddy. I love you so much, Dad. I miss you a lot."

On Instagram, Lisandra dedicated the painting to both her father and all Cubans fighting for freedom: "Dad, I am deeply proud of you, of our roots, and of everything you've taught me. I love and miss you every day. This painting is also yours."

The song "Patria y Vida", released in February 2021 by Yotuel Romero, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, and El Funky, reverses the official slogan of the regime and became an anthem for the protests of July 11, 2021, the largest popular demonstrations in Cuba in decades. Maykel Osorbo was imprisoned by the regime that same year.