TAMPA, Fla — As #SOSCuba demonstrations near two weeks, Cubans in Tampa remember the city's roots are founded in their culture.
"The plans for liberation of Cuba, we're rolled into a cigar in Ybor City and sent there to Cuba years ago," Tony Morejon said.
Morejon is the former Hispanic liaison for Hillsborough County. As he sits in La Faraona Cigars, he remembers his grandfather that came to Ybor City and rolled cigars 100 years ago. He says Cuba has always been engrained in Tampa.
"We came here for a purpose. The lady that owns this cigar shop, she's a Cuban who became free, who got her liberty," Morejon says of the owner Odelma Matos.
Morejon used to protest for Cuba's freedom years ago. Now he's watching his people take to the streets for freedom and his son is in the crowd.
"It makes me very emotional to see that. He grew up with the values that I wanted him to grow up with. The violations of human rights are horrible. I have two sets of family left in Cuba, my mom's side, my dad's side. I don't know how they skirted around the internet, but they're actually posting stuff every night asking for liberty," Morejon said.
Some of the videos are difficult to watch, but that's why Tony says this fight for freedom won't stop.
"They want freedom. Freedom is a thing when you want it bad enough. My cousins had told me they can kill us. Cuba has woken up. They have woken up from the dream. Tampa has always played a role in the liberty of Cuba, back to Jose Marti back in the 1800s. It has a role to play today too. The voices must be heard," Morejon.
To keep the spirit alive Tampa's Cuban Americans are heading to Washington, D.C. to protest. Some left Thursday, others will leave tomorrow and into the weekend. They won't stop until Cuba is free.
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