Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called on Cuba’s military to turn on the communist dictatorship that controls the island, saying that young military leaders have a chance to be “heroic” and can refound the nation.
DeSantis made the remarks in response to a question from a reporter about calls for U.S. military intervention on the island.
“The best role for military — the Cuban military — is to realize that time’s up, that you can’t keep doing the bidding of a repressive dictatorship that is not governing with the consent of the governed,” DeSantis said. “And so clearly this is a dictatorship that is lost. Not that they ever had it, but clearly they don’t have the consent of the governed now.”
“And so I think that the best thing would be for those militaries, particularly some of the younger military folks to understand you can really be heroic in this,” he added. “You can play an instrumental role in founding a free Cuba, refounding the country and a free Republic. And that will be something that will help millions of people. And that will somehow be something that will cause you to live in the history books.”
DeSantis also said that it was time for President Joe Biden to step up and do his job by helping provide internet to the island to protect the pro-freedom protesters from the brutal regime’s crackdown. “Mr. President now’s the time to stand up and be counted,” DeSantis said. “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.”
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TRANSCRIPT:
RON DESANTIS, GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA: We were just in Surfside and I know this was scheduled for a bit earlier. We were on Cuban time today, so I’m sorry, but, it’s really a great to be here with folks who are really in the trenches here fighting for freedom. We are seeing on the island of Cuba, people fighting against the communist dictatorship. That is a noble cause, a free Cuba’s a noble cause. It’s a cause that many of these people have dedicated their lives to. And so we obviously have to stand with the people of Cuba against the communist dictatorship and one of the most effective things we can do as a country. And we need president Biden to step up, to make this happen. And I’ve spoke with that FCC Commissioner Carr on the phone. We can be able to be helpful to getting internet back onto the island of Cuba.
The one thing that communist regimes fear the most is the truth. And if we’re able to help Cubans communicate with one another, also communicate to the outside world, that truth is going to matter. That truth, I think will be decisive. And so Mr. President, now’s the time to stand up and be counted. I’ve never seen a community more unified than what we’ve seen here over the last nearly a week. So 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. And we’re happy to do whatever we can on the state level, to be able to assist the effort. This is not something that is as easy as saying, okay, next minute it will be on, but we absolutely can do it, if we get quick movement out of the White House. And so Mr. President, please heed the calls, stand with the people of Cuba in their hour of need. This is one of, I think the key things that can be done at this moment in time with that, I’ll let our Lieutenant governor come up inside. …
Yeah. And I think just said we do have some, some Florida companies, and those satellites there’s certain things that they would require there. … So there’s just a variety of things. Our view is let’s turn it all on, right? And let’s get, let’s get moving, but, but there is different ways that some of these would go, it isn’t as easy as just saying, hey, this satellite could just be put over there, but it can be done if we have the support.
So for example, people have been talking about some of these, the satellites that they could be moved over. And in theory, that’s true, but it maybe if you want to talk about, you know, it does require some infrastructure on the ground to be able to send that signal to the devices. Uh, one of the things that the commissioner and I talked about was actually ways where you could go straight to the devices without needing that, that would be different than some of the companies we have in Florida. So we want to exhaust any options that we can, but there may be a need to do a little bit more in providing some infrastructure closer to the island or even on the island. One of the things that could be utilized is the embassy, the U.S. Embassy that’s in Havana, and we should be willing to put whatever we need there to be able to get signals in other parts of Cuba, to the Cuban people. I think that would make a big difference, but it isn’t as easy of just moving a satellite and all of a sudden goes straight to the devices.
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REPORTER: Here in Miami, we’re hearing a lot of calls for intervention [inaudible]. One, do you support this call to action and two, do you expect that once you get the internet and videos out, people will see what’s happening and then would be more supportive for an intervention?
DESANTIS: Look, I think it depends on, I don’t know what that means in terms of, you know, what you’re saying. Some people have asked about, you know, what role in the military, and I think Marcel has pointed this out. The best role for military is the Cuban military to realize that time’s up, that you can’t keep doing the bidding of a repressive dictatorship that is not governing with the consent of the governed. And so clearly this is a dictatorship that is lost. Not that they ever had it, but clearly they don’t have the consent of the governed now. And so I think that the best thing would be for those military, particularly some of the younger military folks to understand 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 somehow be something that will cause you to live in the history books.