BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Cuba's state of affairs is hitting a Brevard man hard. Matt Boucher has a vested interest in the communist island nation and the large, anti-government protests happening now.
Boucher says relief must be sent to Cuba — food, medicine and more — as the people fight for freedom.
What You Need To Know
- Matt Boucher has a house in Key West, just 90 miles from Cuba
- Boucher says he's seen firsthand how much control the government there has
- Boucher says relief must be sent to the country to help the people living there who aren't a part of the regime
- RELATED: Demonstators in Havana protest shortages, rising prices, Cubans in Florida rally to support protests on the island
"It's sad for the people — it's not sad for the regime, but the people that were hungry before," Boucher said. "If these protests are of the size I hear they are, you know they are desperate. If you are seeing protests of this magnitude, you know it's bad."
Thousands of Cubans marched in Havana on Sunday to protest food shortages and increasing prices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts say Sunday's anti-government demonstration was the biggest in recent memory.
Boucher said he tries to support humanitarian efforts in Cuba through his airplane parts business.
Brevard County is his home, but he has a house in Key West, just 90 miles from Cuba. He says he's experienced the government's handle on the people during his visits to the island.
"If you're not part of the regime, you have nothing inside," Boucher said. "Even going into a nice restaurant, somebody put their hand on me and said 'no sir.' If you're not part of it, you're not allowed."
Boucher said on one of his trips, people he met made him a birthday cake, which he believes shows what kind of people they are, no matter what they do or do not have.
He said Cuba is completely isolated from the rest of the world with no cell or internet service, and he hopes the U.S. steps in to help.
"They need help, they are good people," he said. "I feel bad for them."
