Cuba's US affairs director asks if ‘humanitarian intervention’ is in order as Florida becomes Covid-19 hotspot

Cuba’s director general for US affairs questioned whether a “humanitarian intervention” would be in order after it was revealed that 20% of new Covid-19 infections in the United States were now coming from Florida.

On Friday, White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients revealed that “1 in 5 of all cases” of Covid-19 in the United States – or roughly 20% – were recorded “in Florida alone” and that many cases were “concentrated in communities with lower vaccination rates.”

Florida is currently the third most Covid-19-affected state with nearly 2.5 million confirmed cases – behind only California and Texas.

Carlos F. de Cossio, Cuba’s director general for US affairs, responded to the news on Saturday by questioning whether a “humanitarian intervention” in Florida would be “in order.”

Cossio’s response received nearly 6,000 likes on Twitter and support from some Americans, who used the opportunity to mock Floridians who have been calling for US intervention against the Cuban authorities in the wake of an anti-government protest.

“Please save us. The American people yearn for freedom,” commented one social media user, while a New York woman wrote, “We welcome cuban paratroopers on our shores, the american people yearn for liberty!”

“If the US Govt saw what it was doing to the American people it would launch an invasion of the US to save it from the US Govt,” another person quipped, while one socialist Texan asked Cuba to “remove the dictator de santis.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has become notable in the US for loosening his state’s coronavirus restrictions to the bare minimum. In September 2020, DeSantis revoked social distancing restrictions for bars and restaurants, while in April he officially banned vaccine passports through an executive order which prohibits businesses from requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination.

In May, DeSantis went one step further and announced his intention to pardon everyone in Florida who had been charged with breaking Covid-19 restrictions on face masks and social distancing.

Over 38,000 people have died from Covid-19 in Florida since the start of the pandemic, while the US as a whole has recorded over 600,000 deaths – the highest in the world. Cuba, meanwhile, has recorded 1,843 deaths.

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