Texas Senator Ted Cruz‘s father Rafael Cruz gave a rousing oratory to a group of FreedomWorks activists in Washington D.C. last week. The speech detailed the senior Cruz’s plight in Cuba and was delivered as part of a minority activist summit hosted by FreedomWorks grassroots leaders.

Cruz discusses Fidel Castro and his appeal to the Cuban people during the revolution. Even Rafael was taken in by the charismatic leader before realizing what a monster the Havanan dictator truly was. Cruz describes being beaten and tortured while serving in the army.

The father of the junior Senator from Texas explains his background in how he came to America and how his son became one of the most powerful senators in the nation. The speech is 32 minutes long.