I'm Brian Lerer. This is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Monday, July 19th.

On Sunday last weekend, July 11th, on the island of Cuba, tens of thousands of people demonstrated across 45

cities in the largest anti-government protests on the island in decades, chanting freedom

and chanting enough. The protests erupted amid Cuba's worst economic crisis since the fall of

the Soviet Union way back when.

The crisis was compounded by the ongoing pandemic, which has brought the island to the brink of

its worst food shortages in decades. But the protests aren't limited to just on the island of Cuba.

Since then, all across the United States, Cuban Americans and their allies have also gathered

in solidarity. Joining us now to break down the ongoing situation in Cuba and to help take your

phone calls are Dr. Andy Gomez, retired director of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American

Studies and a former assistant provost and dean of

international studies at the University of Miami. Professor, welcome to the show. Thank you so much

for joining us today. My pleasure to be with you. And also joining us as Francis Robles,

national and foreign correspondent for the New York Times. She was last on the show back in 2017 to discuss how Hurricane Irma affected the region.

Frances, welcome back.

Thank you for joining us.

Thanks for inviting me, Brian.

And just by a little way of background, I gather the two of you actually go way back in Florida.

Dr. Gomez, how do you two know each other?

Oh, Francis and I go back years.

I think she's one of the best journalists I've had to encounter in my years

dealing with reporters across not only the United States, but around the world.

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