Cuban community in SWFL worries for family back on the island

Michel Sarduy felt a sigh of relief when he finally got through to his daughter in Cuba after three days of trying.

For Southwest Florida Cubans, communicating with family back home has proven difficult as the communist government has controlled the internet and communications.

His daughter told him she had no idea how the rest of the family was doing.

“Yesterday they took one of my nephews and we have no idea where he is,” Sarduy said in Spanish. “I don’t know if my nephews are on the side of the government where they’re forcing them to hit their people or if they’re with the people on the streets and the government is beating them.”

Sarduy’s nephew, like many young men in Cuba, has been forced into the military.

Videos circulating on social media show police taking boys from their homes. While WINK News has not independently verified the videos, people say this is happening to their loved ones.

“They put them against a group and say if you don’t hit that protestor or do what you need to do then we’re going to do to you what you should be doing to those people,” Sarduy said.

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