“The one thing communists fear most, it’s the truth,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a press conference yesterday, urging President Biden to take action to help Cubans regain access to the internet while also urging Cubans in the military to be “heroic” and stop doing the bidding of the communist dictatorship.
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DeSantis went on to praise those people who are standing up against the oppressive regime and described them as heroes fighting for freedom, adding that “a free Cuba is a noble cause.”
“We, obviously have to stand with the people of Cuba against the communist dictatorship,” DeSantis explained. “And one of the most effective things we can do as a country, and we need President Biden to step up and make this happen… we can be helpful to getting internet back to the island of Cuba. The one thing that communist regimes fear the most is the truth.”
DeSantis explained how the free flow of information would be critical to empowering citizens to rise up, as they see others doing the same. He also urged President Biden to “stand and be counted” right away, arguing that every moment of inaction plays into the communists hands.
“That truth will be decisive. Mr. President, now is the time to stand up and be counted,” DeSantis said. “I’ve never seen a community more unified than what we’ve seen here over the last week. This is a time for choosing, this is a time to stand with the people who are seeking freedom from a brutal 62-year reign of communist oppression.”
“We absolutely can do it if we get quick movement from the White House.”
President Biden, while not directly responding to Governor Desantis, did say during a joint press conference yesterday his administration is looking at if they have the capability to help Cubans regain access to the internet.
Biden also bluntly condemned communism while also adding a sharp criticism of socialism. “Communism is a failed system, universally failed system,” Biden said. “And, I don’t see socialism as a very useful substitute, but that’s another story.” He went on to call Cuba a “failed state” that is “repressing” its citizens.
Governor DeSantis also urged the Cuban military and signaled that they could be huge players in the quest for freedom in Cuba. “The Cuban military to realize the time’s up,” he said. “You can’t keep doing the bidding of a repressive dictatorship that is not governing with the consent of the governed. The best thing would be for the military, particularly some of the younger military folks to understand,” DeSantis urged. “You can really be heroic in this. You can play an instrumental role in founding a free Cuba, re-founding the country, and a free republic. And that will be something that will help millions of people and that will be something that will cause you to live in the history books.”