MIAMI.– The Cuban exile community in Miami commemorates this Wednesday the 124th anniversary of the proclamation of Cuba’s independence and the birth of the Republic with a day that includes an event by the United States Department of Justice at the Freedom Tower, a ceremony at the Brigade 2506 Museum, a solemn mass at the Ermita de la Caridad and a civic event at the Cuban Memorial in Tamiami Park.
May 20, 1902 marked the formal birth of the Republic of Cuba, when Tomás Estrada Palma took office as the first president and the national flag was raised in the Morro Fortress in Havana, ending the US military occupation that began after the Spanish-Cuban-American War of 1898.
For the Cuban exile living in South Florida, this date constitutes the most symbolic anniversary of the civic calendar outside the island and represents the true day of national independence, in contrast to the Cuban regime, which since 1959 has not commemorated this date and has suppressed it from official acts and textbooks, maintaining that true independence came with Fidel Castro’s revolution.
Freedom Tower
At 1:00 pm, the United States Department of Justice holds a press conference at the Freedom Tower, in the heart of Miami, in which the announcement of a federal criminal accusation against former Cuban ruler Raúl Castro is expected for his responsibility in the downing of two civilian planes of the Brothers to the Rescue organization in 1996.
The event, led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and United States Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, will also be attended by FBI Deputy Director Christopher G. Raia, United States Senator Ashley Moody and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, and will pay tribute to the four victims of the incident.
The choice of the Freedom Tower As the headquarters of the announcement, it reinforces its symbolic load, since the building was during the sixties the main processing point for Cuban refugees arriving in the United States.
The shootdown on February 24, 1996 caused the death of Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos A. Costa, Mario M. de la Peña and Pablo Morales, three of them American citizens, in an episode that led to a serious diplomatic crisis between Washington and Havana.
Brigade 2506 Museum
At the Brigade 2506 Museum in Hialeah Gardens, located at 13651 NW 107 Avenue, a significant civic meeting will be held this May 20.
Directors of various Cuban exile organizations, including the Cuban Orthodox Party, the Cuban Patriotic Junta, Municipalities of Cuba in Exile, the Cuban National Congress, the Authentic Cuban Party and Miami Medical Team, will gather at 11:00 am to commemorate the 124th anniversary of the Republic.
The meeting includes patriotic interventions and a musical interlude by singer Nelson Alizo, who will perform emblematic Cuban songs that evoke nostalgia and commitment to the freedom of the island.
This museum space, approximately 5,300 square feet, houses a valuable collection of uniforms, historical documents, Bay of Pigs invasion memorabilia, and a specialized library.
Mass in the Hermitage of Charity
At 8:00 pm, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, located at 3609 South Miami Avenue, celebrates a solemn mass for the anniversary of the Republic and for the freedom of the island.
The official call of the sanctuary calls on the faithful to gather “to thank God for our homeland and ask, with faith and hope, for the now near freedom of Cuba.”
The Hermitage, inaugurated in 1973 in front of Biscayne Bay, incorporates in its interior land from the six historic provinces of the island and constitutes the main religious symbol of the Cuban exile in the United States.
Commemoration in a political key
This year’s commemoration comes loaded with an unusual political expectation, amid the sustained pressure of the Trump administration on the Havana regime and the appointment of Cuban-American Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
The mayor of Miami, Eileen Higgins, confirmed the activation of a contingency plan for possible mass celebrations in the event of a political change on the island, while Diego Suárez, co-founder of the Cuban American National Foundation, has stated that he is “absolutely sure” that Cuba will be free in 2026.
