DeSantis presses Biden to help keep internet flowing in Cuba

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials pressed the White House on Thursday to support efforts to preserve internet service to antigovernment protesters in Cuba, even advocating the use of giant balloons as floating Wi-Fi hotspots to allow images of dissent to stream unabated from the authoritarian nation.

Cuban authorities blocked social media sites in an apparent effort to stop the flow of information into, out of and within the country after thousands of Cubans began taking to the streets last weekend to protest limited access to COVID-19 vaccines and basic goods. The country is going through its worst economic crisis in decades.

“We obviously have to stand with the people of Cuba against the communist dictatorship,” DeSantis said at a Thursday press conference in Miami, adding that restoring access to the internet is vital to supporting the people of Cuba.

The protests in the island nation have sparked an outpouring of support in Florida, which is home to the nation’s largest community of Cuban exiles. Throngs of people in Miami, Orlando and the Tampa area have rallied in support, sometimes shutting down major thoroughfares.

DeSantis said every option should be explored, including using offshore and satellite technology to supply internet service. One option being considered is using balloons to provide connectivity. The Republican governor also suggested using the U.S. Embassy in Havana as a kind of hotspot.

“The one thing that communist regimes fear the most is the truth. And if we’re able to help Cubans communicate with one another — also communicate to the outside world — that truth is going to matter. That truth, I think, will be decisive,” DeSantis said. “And so, Mr. President, now’s the time to stand up and be counted.”

It remains to be seen how the...