The movement began with a melody, Patria y Vida—Homeland and Life. That is the title of a collaborative song released this February by a group of Cuban hip-hop and reggaeton artists—a song that speaks volumes and has evolved into a rallying cry for change. Thousands took to the streets in big and small towns across Cuba Sunday to utter those words, making for the biggest outburst of a national protest in decades. Hundreds more gathered in Miami in a show of solidarity.

“Patria y Vida,” Cubans chanted in videos that went viral and served as a bullhorn for more to join as the day progressed. They demanded freedom, access to COVID-19 vaccines, food, an end to misery.