Anti-government protests erupt in Cuba this week over lack of access to food and basic medical supplies an increase in COVID cases.
The country has suffered massive inflation and long shutdowns, as long-running U.S. sanctions restricting access to basic goods and finance, and decades of corruption and mismanagement by the government, have worsened. decrease in tourism during the pandemic.
The protests began on Sunday and have spread rapidly across the country as thousands of Cubans are frustrated by hunger and basic supply shortages. “Our children are starving,” one protester shouted a published video and Facebook. Another video on Twitter appeared to show protesters calling for “changing the system.”
Protests are the most important of recent memory and government forces, which often repress demonstrations, initially fought to maintain control. Some musicians, which together with artists face suppression to speak out, he also made statements in support of the protesters.
Intermittent Internet outages and harassment and arrest of journalists have made it difficult to verify events on the ground; however, photos and videos have appeared showing uniformed and plainclothes officers hitting protesters with batons and appearing to shoot to them. At least one person has been murdered, and Amnesty International said that at least 150 others have been reported missing and may have been arrested.
While the government seems to have it softened his posture in a way, raising a tax on the import of goods to the island may not be enough to quell the protests. “No, we don’t want crumbs. We want freedom. Blood has not flowed through the Cuban streets to be able to import some more suitcases. ” he tweeted the blogger and government critic Yoaní Sánchez.
