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Thousands protest against government in Cuba

2021-07-12T16:34:21.648Z


This has not happened in the authoritarian Caribbean state of Cuba for decades. People take to the streets and demonstrate against the economy of scarcity and oppression.


This has not happened in the authoritarian Caribbean state of Cuba for decades.

People take to the streets and demonstrate against the economy of scarcity and oppression.

Havana - For the first time in decades, large numbers of demonstrators against the socialist government took to the streets in Cuba.

They turned against the economy of scarcity and oppression.

In the capital, Havana and other cities, they chanted "Freedom, Freedom" and "We are not afraid," as seen on videos posted on social media.

Twitter users in Cuba reported that the demonstrations were violently broken up in the evening (local time).

The authoritarian government blamed US-controlled provocateurs for the protests.

The United States pledged its support to the demonstrators.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel spoke on state television on Monday of a historic day for the defense of the Cuban revolution of 1959. He blamed the US economic blockade for the shortcomings in the Caribbean state.

Attempts were made on social media to manipulate emotions to create dissatisfaction and to divide Cubans.

Cuba is demanding that its sovereignty be respected, said Díaz-Canel, who in April also took over the leadership of the Communist Party (PCC) - the only one authorized in Cuba - from Raúl Castro.

"If you want to defeat the revolution, you have to go over our corpses," he had said in a televised address the evening before.

The people took to the streets in defense of the revolution, tweeted the party newspaper “Granma” on Monday.

The people of Cuba are demanding basic rights, according to a message from US President Joe Biden distributed by the White House. “These rights, including the right to peaceful protest and the right to freely determine one's own future, must be respected. The United States is calling on the Cuban regime to listen to its people and serve their needs rather than enrich itself at this crucial moment. ”Biden criticized the government's“ decades of repression ”.

With a view to the proximity of the USA, Russia warned against outside interference and against attempts to destabilize the situation on the island "through destructive acts". It is unacceptable to interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, said the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, Maria Sakharova. "We are convinced that the Cuban authorities will take all necessary steps to restore social order in the interests of the citizens of the country within the framework of the constitution."

There was also a demonstration on Sunday in the nearby US city of Miami, where many Cubans in exile live.

Observers spoke of the largest demonstrations in Cuba for decades - at least since 1994. At that time, there was a severe economic crisis after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which collapsed Cuba's foreign trade volume.

With the help of the allied government in Venezuela and through tourism revenue, Cuba came out of this "special period".

Now Venezuela itself is in crisis, and tourism has collapsed during the corona pandemic.

In addition, the US tightened its sanctions against Cuba under ex-President Donald Trump.

Most Cubans suffer in everyday life from the consequences of the Cuban planned economy and the US economic embargo.

There are currently reports of drug and food shortages in Cuba.

Power outages are increasing and becoming longer.

In addition, the number of coronavirus infections has recently increased significantly.

In Cuba vaccines are vaccinated with self-developed vaccines.

On Twitter there were many posts with the identifier #SOSCuba at the weekend.

Massive protests against the socialist government are rare.

Most recently, opposition artists from the so-called San Isidro movement had repeatedly brought people onto the streets and also attracted international attention.

Well-known musicians showed their solidarity with the movement with the song “Patria y Vida” (Fatherland and Life).

Protesters also reportedly shouted "Patria y Vida" on Sunday.

dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-07-12

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