Cubans Protest Against Food Shortages and Blackouts With Street Demonstrations
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has stressed the importance of engaging in dialogue with the people and has cautioned that “the enemies” are attempting to take advantage of the situation.
On Sunday, a large number of Cuban protesters marched in the streets, requesting access to food and electricity as the island grapples with prolonged power outages lasting up to 18 hours or more each day, escalating tensions.
Social media posts depict individuals chanting “electricity and food” during the demonstrations in Santiago. President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged the protests and emphasized the need for dialogue with the citizens.
He added, “The authorities of the Party, the State, and the Government are prepared to address the grievances of our people, listen to their concerns, engage in dialogue, and explain the numerous efforts being made to enhance the situation, always in a peaceful environment.”
Furthermore, Mr. Diaz-Canel cautioned about the intentions of “the enemies of the Revolution” who are trying to exploit the situation for destabilizing purposes.
The Cuban leader attributed these actions to “terrorists based in the United States, whom we have previously exposed,” stating that they are inciting actions against the country’s internal order.
Earlier in the day, Beatriz Jhonson Urrutia, the secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, attended the protests in Santiago to communicate with the people and listen to their grievances, as reported by local media.
Although police were present, no reports of arrests or violence emerged.
The U.S. Embassy in Havana acknowledged the reports of “peaceful protests” in Santiago, Bayamo, Granma, and other Cuban regions.
Cuba has been facing an unprecedented economic crisis since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, prompting a record-breaking exodus of over 400,000 individuals migrating to the United States.
Cuban-born Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) urged the Biden administration to provide the island with satellite internet to curb the repression enforced by the dictatorial regime.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava pledged unwavering support to the people of Cuba in their pursuit of freedom.
Protests in Cuba are exceptionally rare but have become more frequent in recent years due to the country’s economic crisis.
Although Cuba’s constitution of 2019 grants citizens the right to protest, a specific law defining this right remains pending in the legislature, placing those who participate in demonstrations in a legal gray area.
Rights organizations, the European Union, and the United States have criticized Cuba’s crackdown on anti-government protests over two years ago on July 11, 2021—the largest demonstrations since Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959—as heavy-handed and repressive.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
