This July 11 marks four years since the largest social uprising in Cuba in recent decades. Cuban artists and influencers have flooded social media with messages, photos, and videos commemorating the day when thousands took to the streets chanting “Freedom!” These posts not only recall the scale of the protests but also the brutal repression that followed, a date that forever altered the collective consciousness of the nation.

Both from exile and from within Cuba, well-known figures in music, art, and social media are using their platforms to honor the demonstrators and reaffirm their commitment to a free Cuba. Many agree that July 11, 2021, was “the day we came closest to freedom.”

Images of the slogans chanted in the streets and scenes of police violence have once again been widely shared, accompanied by reflections on the human cost of that uprising, including hundreds of political prisoners who remain behind bars today for protesting on July 11, 2021.

Voices Rising for Freedom

Lieter Ledesma: “For a country where all Cubans can belong. Where thinking is not punished, and expressing your feelings does not make you an enemy. A nation where freedom is not a dream but a daily reality. No more families torn apart by distance. No more young people fleeing without hope, nor elderly dying without seeing change. Let the pride of being Cuban return, not out of nostalgia, but for history and dignity. Let loving Cuba not hurt. Let living in it not be a burden. For a truly free and prosperous nation. Free, for all.”

Miguelín David: “A date etched in the minds and hearts of every Cuban. Another anniversary of the day we came closest to freedom. Down with the dictatorship that destroys my country.”

Leoni Torres: “July 11. A day that marked the history of my homeland. Our day is coming.”

Personal Accounts of Repression

Alain Paparazzi Cubano: “My family and I were victims of the communist repression. We suffered firsthand the abuses of that dictatorship for simply not staying silent, for raising our voices and speaking the truth about what was happening in Cuba. Today, July 11, marks four years since that day when the people decided to take to the streets and break the silence. Four years since this generation’s loudest cry: freedom. And today, more than ever, I am certain: the only way out is the people in the streets. There is no other way. Those who fight for their rights, who do not give up, they are the ones who make history. Freedom for political prisoners. Freedom for Cuba. We stand firm because we are the Voice of those who cannot speak.”

Michelito Dando Chucho: “No matter how much they want to… 11J forbidden to forget…”

Emilio Frías: “July 11, 2021, was a day that marked the hearts of many Cubans. The streets were buzzing, cars honking… The Malecón is on the street… they said. Phones wouldn’t stop ringing, no internet, and you could only hear people saying… Santiago is on the street, Camagüey too… The Cerro and Havana are completely out. I know many (cyber patriots) wanted to be there to show all their courage and love for the homeland, so I tell them that you had to be there, amidst so many mixed emotions.

“I was there, I lived the fear, the pain, the despair, and the agony of a people that said no more, I can’t. And I also lived the love, the tears of joy after so much agony, the hope and faith of the majority of Cubans when they said ‘It fell, damn it, it fell.’ I saw a puppet dictator desperate, giving a ‘combat order’ against an unarmed people and saying the streets belonged to the revolutionaries.

“After that day, I was never the same and I believe none of us were. After that day, I understood that what I thought many others thought too, that what I wanted many others wanted too, that the desire to live with dignity and the pain of family separation were greater than the fear of a bloody and brutal dictatorship (…) I chose to be on the right side, and it cost me a lot, but I prefer to live ‘Without Country, but without Master’ and with the dignity of always being with Cuba and my people. Happy day to all the brave ones who stepped out to demand their rights. Long live a Free Cuba and Down with the Dictatorship.”

El Chacal: “July 11. A day no one forgets. For those who are no longer here, for those who remain firm against the TYRANNY.”

Frequently Asked Questions about the Fourth Anniversary of July 11 Protests in Cuba

What happened on July 11, 2021, in Cuba?

On July 11, 2021, Cuba witnessed its largest social uprising in decades, as thousands of citizens took to the streets demanding freedom and protesting against the government.

Why do Cuban artists and influencers commemorate July 11?

Cuban artists and influencers commemorate July 11 to honor the bravery of those who protested and to reaffirm their commitment to a free Cuba, reflecting on the impact of that day on the nation’s collective consciousness.

What is the current situation of political prisoners from the July 11 protests?

Many political prisoners from the July 11 protests remain incarcerated, as the Cuban government continues to repress dissent and silence opposition voices.



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