We’re all on the same side in Cuba’s fight for freedom

It’s sad that some do not understand that Cuba and its freedom should not be a partisan issue from which only the Castro regime would benefit.

No party is perfect, and I do not pretend to justify the mistakes that some members of my party have made over time. But the historical facts cannot be changed.

As a Democrat, I am proud my party achieved the Cuban Adjustment Act as well as the Freedom Flights. We opened our arms to Cubans during the Mariel era and participated in the bipartisan creation of Radio and Television Martí. We succeeded in getting the Castro regime to accept the internet on the island, through which today, we can witness the abuses by the repressive forces of the Cuban government against a people who demand their freedom.

My father fought against the communists as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Air Force. In my native Colombia, he was kidnapped by the FARC.

I understand Cubans’ suffering, and that is why I ask that they not make the mistake of isolating Democrats such as U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, who are on their side. Many Democrats, like myself, did not have to wait to be elected to support the fight for a free Cuba.

There is much to do. We want more and we aim for more. Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, Cubans, Colombians and all who love freedom have an indispensable ally in President Biden. This fight is about adding, not subtracting.

Let’s get support from all parties, from all nations. Only in this way will we be able to fight effectively against a regime as brutal as the one that has taken over Cuba for the last 62 years. Patria y Vida.