France asks Cuba to respect the right of its citizens to demonstrate, while the opposition calls for a rally on Monday, November 15 to demand the release of political prisoners, despite the ban by the authorities.
"
We call on the Cuban government to guarantee the right of the Cuban people to assemble and demonstrate peacefully,
" the French foreign ministry said in a statement, with France following "
with concern
" the situation in Cuba.
Read alsoTensions in Cuba before the civic march of the "15 N"
Paris also asks the Cuban authorities to "
return their accreditation to the journalists
" of the Spanish agency Efe stationed in Cuba, withdrawn on the eve of the rally. Two of the five journalists concerned, however, recovered theirs, their leader Atahualpa Amerise told AFP on Sunday.
The island is experiencing its worst economic crisis in nearly 30 years, generating severe shortages of food and medicine as well as growing social discontent. Despite the authorities' firm ban, the opposition calls for a large peaceful march in Havana and six provinces, four months after those of July 11, which left one dead and dozens injured. Some 1,270 people were arrested, 658 of whom remain in jail, according to human rights NGO Cubalex.
The Communist regime accuses the opposition of being financed by Washington.
President Michel Diaz-Canel denounced a desire to “
disrupt internal order
” and a “
media campaign against Cuba
”.
In recent days, several dissidents, promoters of the demonstration and independent journalists have also denounced on social networks being blocked at home by the police.
