The Texas Rangers Adolis Garcia is one of many Major League players from Cuba supporting the protest for regime change in Cuba (file photo from the Dallas Morning News)

Cuban Players in Support of the People of Cuba

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Nobody knows better about the Cuban system of government that many of the Cuban-born players that have defected through the years. Many who escaped on home-made crafts across the treacherous Florida straits heading north looking for freedom and opportunity risking their lives and in many instances their relatives that escaped with them.

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman as well as the young sensation of the Texas Rangers Adolis García wore hats with the message “SOS Cuba” and “Patria y Vida” (translated) “Homeland and Life” during recent game between the Yankees and the Rangers. “It’s the first time that I know of in my 33 years,” Chapman said to ‘Our Esquina’ during batting practice before the All-Star Game. “It’s good that this has happened for the people to rise up. The courage to go out to the streets that has never happened. That is good.”

Others that have spoken and showed their support for the people of Cuba during this uprising in the streets: The Gurriel brothers, Yuliesky of the Houston Astros and Lourdes Jr of the Toronto Blue Jays have taken to Twitter and Instagram to post their support for the suffering people of Cuba, a communist dictatorship for over 60 years.

All-Star Yasiel Puig who first played in the major leagues with the LA Dodgers and is now playing in the Mexican professional league shared a video in Spanish to more than his 800,000 followers “We are all one,” said Puig, who tried to defect from Cuba several times before successfully escaping the island in 2012.

Cincinnati Red pitcher Cionel Pérez posted on Instagram “I want to send a greeting and a hug to my Cuban brothers who are fighting for their freedom”. Many other Cuban players have spoken about their solidarity with the Cuban people. Amnesty International, a non-profit, non-bias organization who specializes in following human right violations, continues to list Cuba as one of the biggest human rights violators in the world.

Thousands in the island have taken to the streets to chant “Libertad” – “Freedom”. Also “We want Freedom” “We want vaccines”. Some 24 Cuban players are playing today in the major leagues, they understand the situation because they lived it when they were playing in Cuba.

Although there is a US embargo on Cuba, the largest Caribbean island trades with Canada, France, Spain, México and other countries. But the Cuban government is typical of communist systems, where they totally control the people; say one thing but do the opposite.

There is no doubt the communist leaders of Cuba live very well, have been vaccinated and protected, while the Cuban population continues to suffer from all kinds of shortages. But the biggest “shortage” in Cuba is Freedom. The President of the United States Joe Biden said on Thursday, when asked about his views on Cuba’s communism, “Communism is a failed system — a universally failed system. And I don’t see socialism as a very useful substitute. But that’s another story.”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com