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WASHINGTON–When Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) was asked to join the Republican Advisory Team on Cuba, she knew the assignment would be right up her alley. Spartz immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine, and experienced a communist, totalitarian government before becoming an American citizen.

“I think we need to bring more visibility and talk about it a little bit more because it’s important. We’re the beacon of freedom for the rest of the world,” she said in a Thursday interview.

Spartz said she believes the U.S. can help the people fighting against the communist government of Cuba, gain some ground. But, she said one of the goals of the team, which was appointed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, is to help move the Biden administration to more outwardly show support for the people of Cuba.

“We’ll look also at policy. We need to have a discussion to make sure that we can help to open the internet, to facilitate the freedom of speech in the country.”

LISTEN: Rep. Victoria Spartz talks about her own experience in light of the Cuban situation.

While the U.S. is not prepared to intervene, the government can show support, especially at a time when people in that country, which has been ruled by a communist government for over 60 years, are seeing more clearly than ever how people in free societies function.

“That information is helping for people to stand up,” said Spartz. “More people start realizing they don’t want to continue on this path.”

Fueling her desire to help is her own experience. While Spartz didn’t discuss specifically what she went through, she talked generally about the experiences of people who get political in a totalitarian climate.

“The Cuban regime is beating people to death and using live ammunition and people and children are disappearing.”

Spartz compared that with the Soviet experience.

“If you do something the government doesn’t like, the government tries to kill you, sends bandits to kill you or puts you in some jail or prison or sends you to Siberia.”

She said that even though the goal of the team is to inform House Republicans about the activities of Cuban people and what might be done to help, she’d like to see Democrats involved, too.

“I hope we can find some Democrats, especially in Florida. Because there are a lot of Cuban communities, to put pressure on this administration,” she said.

Spartz said she believes that the more free societies in the world, especially in proximity to the United States, the stronger Democracy becomes and the better the strategic advantage for America.