American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora Exhibition Commemorates July 11 Protests

One of the most striking pieces you'll see in the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora's new exhibition is a flag signed in blood. Hanging at the exhibition's entrance, the crimson signatures of Cubans resisting their government replace the red triangle on their homeland's flag. A television to the right of the display shows a video of the dissidents drawing the biological "ink" and etching their names on the fabric using a special pen.

The demonstration is an act of solidarity with Cubans who remain in detention four years after the country's historic July 11 protests, one of the largest uprisings on the island since Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Facing dire economic conditions fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cubans took to the streets to demand access to food, medicine, and a better quality of life. Internet service was blacked out almost immediately, and hundreds were arrested. Although a Vatican-led initiative resulted in the release of many of the protesters in January of this year, watchdog organizations, including Human Rights Watch, say hundreds remain behind bars. Many who were released report continued government surveillance.

"11J: One People," the new, second-floor exhibition at the Coral Way museum, also known as the Cuban, commemorates the demonstrations and spotlights Cuban opposition leaders, including Maykel Osorbo, one of the rappers featured on the 2021 protest song, "Patria y Vida"; Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a performer affiliated with the dissident San Isidro Movement; Jose Daniel Ferrer, a human rights activist and member of the Christian Liberation Movement; and the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White), the wives and relatives of disappeared dissidents who have protested in solidarity for more than two decades.
Further into the exhibition, murals and infographics add context about the series of protests across the island and profile protesters still detained. Artwork and poems made in the spirit of the protest slogan "Patria y Vida" also hang on the walls.

Ahead of the exhibition's ribbon cutting, held this month on the fourth anniversary of the protests, several prominent Cuban-American leaders, as well as the families of Cuban political prisoners, voiced their support for an end to Cuba's dictatorship. Florida lawmakers, including Senator Rick Scott and Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Gimenez, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, sent in videos, and Senator Ashley Moody sent an aide on her behalf to declare July 11 an official day of recognition in the state of Florida.

"May the cutting of this ribbon represent the end to the dictatorship in Cuba," Luis Enrique Ferrer Garcia, brother of Jose Daniel Ferrer, said in Spanish at the reception. During a panel discussion, members of the Cuban exile community exchanged their stories of hurt and hope. One attendee shared he was FaceTiming with family on the island, including loved ones who'd also been imprisoned. One of the panel members asked the individual to bring the phone forward. The audience rose to its feet with chants of, "Libertad! Libertad!" For them, the July 11 protests continue today.

"11J: One People" at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora. Open daily from noon to 6 p.m. at 1200 Coral Wy., Miami; 305-529-5400; thecuban.org. Admission costs $10. On view through October 1.