Mia sparked hundreds of responses on social media posts after she used a hashtag and posted a video criticizing the Cuban government amid protests in the country.
Many Cubans have been marching in protest against the government and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the country’s economic collapse and lack of civil liberties.
“Omg we call the Lebanese President ‘Bay el Khara.’ Cubans and Lebanese have so much in common!” she said in a tweet Friday. “Corrupt leadership, and American sanctions that don’t hurt the corrupt leaders, but rather the innocent civilians.”
Khalifa, who has nearly 4 million Twitter followers, separately blasted Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in a video message posted to her account on Sunday.
The 28-year-old has been active across social platforms, including Twitter, where she tagged a member of the Cuban government in various tweets and attacked the ruling party’s governance of the country.
It was a feisty Instagram post that perhaps got most attention, however, where Khalifa called for people to join her in never setting foot on Cuban soil until there has been a change of regime.
“I’ll never step foot in Cuba until it’s free,” wrote Khalifa.
“The government’s value on tourism over their own people is disgusting and should be boycotted.
“What will they do with all the lobster if there’s no tourists to eat it? They’ll have to feed it to the people, I guess.”
Thousands of protesters both pro and anti-government have taken to Cuba’s streets in recent days in response to the crisis. Cuba’s economy, heavily reliant on tourism has shrunk 11 percent in the last year thanks to the pandemic.
Just weeks ago, Khalifa called Cuba’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, “garbage”.
Miguel Diaz-Canel’s claim against Khalifa
In fact, Diaz-Canel claimed during a television address to the country that Khalifa is working in tandem with the US government to try and encourage the protests in the country, something that she laughed at in another tweet directed at the Cuban president.
The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights. Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected,” Biden said. “The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves.”
Several lawmakers, like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), have also voiced their support for the Cuban protesters.
Khalifa, who is Lebanese, has a massive social media following and often engages with her followers and fans on matters of politics, sports and culture.
As of Monday morning, the hashtag #SOSCuba had hundreds of thousands of interactions, with politicians, media personalities and human rights activists all weighing in.
