As protests by Cuban-Americans in Tampa continued for a fourth straight day on Wednesday, a group of Hillsborough County elected officials came together in Jose Marti Park in Ybor City to call for a peaceful transfer of power in Cuba.

“Right now on the island of Cuba, the people do not have food,” said Tampa U.S. Democratic Representative Kathy Castor. “They do not have electricity. They do not have medicine. They do not have a working hospital. They do not have the internet. There has been a total collapse under this communist regime of civil society. It’s a collapse under the weight of corruption and communism. The people feel entirely betrayed, and rightfully so.”

The Tampa Bay area is home to the third-largest number of Cuban-Americans in the U.S., and public officials say that they are in complete support of the Cuban people and the Cuban-American community here in the Bay area.

“The outrage is not new,” noted Democratic state Sen. Janet Cruz. “Cubans have been tired for decades, but this movement right now is absolutely historical. And I say that because the people of Cuba know. They know what they face when they take to the streets in protest, they are saying that I am willing to die for protest.”

The Cuban government controls cell service and the internet, and they’ve cut off most communications with the outside world. Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan says she’s unable to connect with any of her family members now.

“Right now, they have nothing,” she said of the reported shortages of food, Covid-19 vaccinations and other basic necessities.

“Having my personal family in there right now and not being able to even communicate with them, it breaks my heart,” Millan said.

The Biden administration is still undergoing a comprehensive review of its Cuba policy and recent developments will factor into its response, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

That follows a comment made by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on Tuesday that military action by President Biden’s administration might be required to bring about regime change in Havana. Congresswoman Castor said she was “distressed” by the comment.

“I think that would only bring greater injury and death to the Cuban people,” she said, adding that the U.S. along with other countries in the western hemisphere need to lead an effort to pressure the Cuban government to “give the common, ordinary Cubans a voice in their government.”

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera is the child of Cuban refugees who left the island nation in 1960. He said that in Tampa, the Cuban refugee, Cuban-American and Cuban exile community “is united 100 percent in favor of liberty for our brothers and sisters in Cuba.”

Viera and Cruz said they were both at the protest that took place along Dale Mabry Highway that led to three arrests and hundreds of people blocking the road for hours. 

“People should not be blocking the streets,” Viera said, adding that it didn’t matter if the protest was for Black Lives Matter, Cuba Libre or autism awareness.

Viera intends to offer a resolution of support for the Cuban people at the end of Thursday’s Tampa City Council meeting.