Protests in Cuba in 2021

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On July 11, 2021, protests began in Cuba against the government and the Communist Party of Cuba . It was triggered by a shortage of food and medical products and the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba . It is the largest protests since the riots in Havana in 1994. By July 14, 2021, at least one person has died.

background

The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020 worsened the longstanding economic crisis in Cuba. The tourism , one of the largest sources of foreign exchange earnings of the country almost collapsed completely. The country was completely sealed off from April to October 2020, after which small amounts of tourists were allowed into the country again. The result was a dramatically deteriorating supply situation. Groceries and other everyday goods could hardly be bought, and if so, then only after standing in line for hours and often only in the so-called foreign exchange shops, where you cannot pay with local currency. The gross domestic productfell eleven percent in 2020. At the turn of the year 2020/2021 there was also a currency reform in which Cuba's dual currency system was acquired. This was associated with inflationary price increases. For a long time there have been protests by independent artists in Havana against state censorship and restrictions on freedom of expression , internationally known as the San Isidro Movement ( Movimiento San Isidro ), named after the city's district of the same name.

At the end of June, the daily new infections with Covid began to increase drastically in Cuba. The government continued to drastically restrict freedom of movement. At the same time, relatively high fines were imposed for even the smallest violations of, for example, the mask requirement or distance rules. According to the independent press, the situation in hospitals, especially in the Matanzas province , which also includes the popular tourist stronghold of Varadero , is worsening dramatically. The Cubans in exile therefore started a social media campaign with the hashtag “ #SOSCuba ”, demanding that the Cuban government set up a corridor for humanitarian aid.

course

The protests started on Sunday, July 11th around noon local time in San Antonio de los Baños , a suburb of Havana. Calls for freedom, better care and vaccinations were chanted. The socialist government's slogan " Patria o muerte " ("Fatherland or Death") was changed to " Patria y vida " ("Fatherland and Life"). Patria y Vida is a song by the Cuban musicians Yotuel , Descemer Bueno , Gente de Zona and others, which was released in February of that year and immediately became very popular in Cuba.

The news of these protests quickly reached all parts of Cuba via live streams on the major social media. Similar rallies spontaneously formed in numerous other cities. In particular, those in Havana on the Malecón , in memory of the unrest there in 1994, in Palma Soriano near Santiago de Cuba and in Santiago itself, attracted more attention .

At first, the state seemed surprised at the massiveness of the protests. President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the starting point of the protests to get an idea of ​​the situation - in 1994 Fidel Castro was able to calm the people with his charisma . In a press conference, Díaz-Canel called on the pro-socialist forces to recapture the streets. “ The street in Cuba belongs to the revolutionaries. "(" La calle en Cuba es de los revolucionarios. ") The opposition spoke of a declaration of civil war. Later, however, special police units and so-called Brigadas de Respuesta Rápida (Brigades of Rapid Response), paramilitary units under the Ministry of the Interior , were brought together to crush the protest movements. The internet was largely switched off or access to social media was blocked. According to independent reports, there have been around 5,000 arrests, a Youtuber was in a live interview with a Spanish television station. According to human rights organizations, they are denied access to lawyers. One dead was officially confirmed.

In the days that followed, there were only small protest parades that could quickly be smothered again.

aftermath

In the days that followed, social media were either impossible or difficult to access. Many Cubans used VPN apps on their smartphones to bypass the state blockade. US President Joe Biden wanted to examine how the Cubans could be offered alternative access to the Internet. He also promised Cuba supplies of large quantities of vaccine. The Cuban government announced easing the import of food, personal goods and medicines. Travelers should be able to import unlimited quantities of these with their regular luggage for a limited period of time without the usual customs fees being due. Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also offered the delivery of food, medicines and vaccines.

Reactions

Protest against the Cuban government in Naples , Florida
Protest in Copley Square , Boston
  • Argentina's President Alberto Fernández said he did not know what was happening in Cuba and blamed the US government for the humanitarian crisis.
  • Bolivia's President Luis Arce expressed his support for the Cuban people who “fight for freedom against destabilizing actions”. Former President Evo Morales accused the US of attempting another Operation Condor .
  • Canada's government said it “supports the right to express one's opinion and freedom of assembly, and it calls on all parties to respect these rights”.
  • Chile's Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the repression, which is aimed at calming protesters who are peacefully protesting for their rights, better health systems and better quality of life.
  • The spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian called for the US trade embargo on Cuba to be lifted, which, according to Zhao, is responsible for the shortage of medicines and energy in Cuba.
  • The Venezuelan Vice President Diosdado Cabello claimed in a televised address in his country that there was no unrest in Cuba. The people only celebrated the European Football Championship .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Frances Robles: Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades , July 11, 2021, The New York Times
  2. ↑ Miles de personas toman las calles en Cuba en unas protestas históricas contra el régimen , July 12, 2021, RTVE
  3. ↑ Thousands join rare anti-government protests in Cuba , July 11, 2021, France 24
  4. ↑ Anthony Faiola: Cubans hold biggest anti-government protests in Decades; Biden says US stands with people , July 12, 2021, The Washington Post
  5. ↑ Directo | España pide a las autoridades cubanas que se respete el derecho de manifestación , July 13th 2021, 20 minutes
  6. ↑ Adriana Brasileiro, Nora Gámez Torres: 'Freedom!' Thousands of Cubans take to the streets to demand the end of dictatorship , July 12, 2021, The Miami Herald
  7. ↑ Cuba protests: One dead and scores missing after rare demonstrations , July 14, 2021, BBC
  8. ↑ Klaus Ehringfeld: President Díaz-Canel fears the “Cuban Spring” - New protests at the weekend. In: Handelsblatt. July 17, 2021, accessed July 17, 2021 .
  9. ↑ Knut Henkel: Michel Matos from Movimiento San Isidro - Cuba: “We are made into terrorists”. In: taz blogs- latin @ rama. the daily newspaper, December 7, 2020, accessed on July 17, 2021 .
  10. ↑ Kunt Henkel: Rare revolt continues. In: taz. July 13, 2021, accessed July 17, 2012 .
  11. ↑ Tobias Buyer: "Patria y Vida" - A song that angered Cuba's government. In: ZDFheute. Second German television, February 27, 2021, accessed on July 17, 2021 .
  12. ↑ Yotuel, @Gente De Zona, @Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, El Funky: Patria y Vida. In: Youtube. February 17, 2021, accessed July 17, 2021 (Spanish).
  13. ↑ Frances Robles: Cuban's Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades. In: New York Times. July 11, 2021, accessed July 16, 2021 .
  14. ↑ Cuban Youtuber arrested live on Spanish television. In: The Standard. July 14, 2021, accessed July 16, 2021 .
  15. ↑ Detainees arrested in Cuba do not have access to lawyers. In: Spiegel Online. July 16, 2021, accessed July 16, 2021 .
  16. ↑ Biden offers help after protests in Cuba. In: The Standard. July 16, 2021, accessed July 16, 2021 .
  17. ↑ Martin Ling: Cuba lets pressure out of the boiler. New Germany, July 15, 2021, accessed on July 17, 2021 .
  18. ↑ AMLO ofrece medicinas, Vacunas y comida a Cuba. In: El Universal. July 12, 2021, accessed July 16, 2021 (Spanish).
  19. ↑ Alberto Fernández, sobre Cuba: “Yo no sé lo que está pasando, pero terminemos con los bloqueos” , July 12, 2021, La Nación
  20. ↑ Bolivia respalda a Cuba por "luchar contra acciones desestabilizadoras" , July 12, 2021, eldiario.es
  21. ↑ Evo Morales Acusa a EE. UU. de “reeditar” el Plan Cóndor , July 13th 2021, elrepublica.pe
  22. ↑ Canada calls for 'inclusive dialogue' after Biden expresses support for Cuban protesters , July 12, 2021, CBC
  23. ↑ Chile condenó lareprión a las protestas en Cuba y pidió a la dictadura no acallar a los manifestantes que piden libertad , July 13, 2021, infobae.com
  24. ↑ China calls on US to end economic blockade of Cuba after protests , July 13, 2021, South China Morning Post
  25. ^ Diosdado Cabello sobre las manifestaciones en Cuba: “Era gente que celebraba la Eurocopa”. In: La Voz. July 15, 2021, accessed July 16, 2021 (Spanish).