Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is calling on President Joe Biden to restore the internet to the Cuban people after the communist government shut it off.
"I write to urge you to assist in providing Internet access to the people of Cuba standing up against communist oppression and demanding a voice after decades of suffering under the yoke of a cruel dictatorship," DeSantis wrote in a letter to Biden Wednesday night. "As you know, the Cuban people are taking to the streets to protest the Communist regime, and the Cuban government has responded with violence. At first, the world could see the images and videos of this mass movement, but now the tyrannical regime of President Miguel Díaz-Canel has shut off access to the Internet. The Cuban people have lost their ability to communicate with one another, and many Floridians born in Cuba have no information on the safety of their loved ones. Equally as important, the world has also lost the ability to see what is happening on the ground as the Cuban people rise in support of freedom."
While Cuban Dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel has shut off internet access to the country, he remains active on Twitter.
"Technology exists to provide Internet access into Cuba remotely, using the innovation of American enterprise and the diverse industries here. Similar to the American efforts to broadcast radio into the Soviet Union during the Cold War in Europe, the federal government has a history of supporting the dissemination of information into Cuba for the Cuban people through Radio & Televisión Martí, located in Miami. In addition to sending information, however, our efforts must include creating a means for the Cuban people to speak to the world," DeSantis continued. "I urge you to act immediately to provide all necessary authorizations, indemnifications, and funding to American businesses with the capability to provide Internet access for the people of Cuba. Steps must be taken immediately."
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr is backing DeSantis' calls and says the agency has the capability to turn the internet back on inside the country.
Governor DeSantis’s call for President Biden to provide the necessary support for American enterprises to deliver Internet service to the Cuban people is exactly right.
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) July 15, 2021
We have the technical capability to do this & doing so would show strong support for their fight for freedom: https://t.co/lLzms6btlq pic.twitter.com/Fe6X51H3ZY