Thousands of protesters yelling "freedom" and "yes, we can" marched to the streets from Havana to Santiago de Cuba on Sunday, July 12, imposing a new challenge to an authoritarian regime grappling with increasingly severe blackouts, food shortages, and a soaring coronavirus outbreak. After Cuba reported roughly 7,000 daily cases and 47 deaths on Sunday, the protesters demanded a speedier coronavirus immunization program. According to President Miguel Dáz-Canel, the protests were planned by militants hired by the U.S to destabilize the country. Nonetheless, according to Reuters, protestors believe they have been denied freedom, so they have asked for President Miguel Dáz-Canel to resign. Police arrested several demonstrators and deployed tear gas to disperse various demonstrations.
The anti-government demonstrations began in the city of San Antonio de Los Baños, south of Havana, but quickly expanded across the country. Many were aired live on social media. The demonstrations highlighted the power of social media. They were yelling anti-government and anti-presidential slogans and calling for change. According to social media accounts, people were seen overturning police cars and robbing some state-owned shops that sold goods in foreign currency. Many Cubans rely on these shops to purchase essential supplies, yet the costs are exorbitant.
The fact that people are daring to loot stores in small towns where they can be easily identified by Communist officials demonstrates the intensity of the outrage fueling these demonstrations. With demonstrators live-streaming images on social media platforms, the administration is having a hard time concealing proof of the unrest. They are expecting the government to listen to their requests and make a change for living conditions to improve.
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Bibliography:
“Cuba Protests: Thousands Rally against Government as Economy Struggles.” BBC News, 12 July 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57799852.
Faiola, Anthony. “Cubans Hold Biggest Anti-Government Protests in Decades; Biden Says U.S. Stands with People.” Washington Post, 12 July 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/11/cuba-protests.
Frank, Marc Sarah Marsh. “Cuba Sees Biggest Protests for Decades as Pandemic Adds to Woes.” Reuters, 12 July 2021, www.reuters.com/world/americas/street-protests-break-out-cuba-2021-07-11.