The US ambassador, Benjamin Ziff, was called to the Cuban foreign ministry by the government following allegations that Washington had instigated a demonstration in the city of Santiago de Cuba.
On a Sunday evening, a rare public display of dissatisfaction against Cuba’s communist regime was witnessed. The demonstration seemed to be organized by parents who are facing difficulties in providing food for their children due to a worsening food shortage. According to reports, the protesters chanted, “The people are getting restless without electricity and food.”
Due to frequent electricity outages lasting up to 18 hours per day, the island is facing difficulties in preserving the limited food supply, especially during the upcoming summer season.
Sunday’s demonstrations allegedly started after mothers went to a government facility to express their frustration over being unable to support their children, chanting the phrase: “We are hungry.”
Protests of a similar nature occurred in El Cobre and Bayamo, with smaller gatherings taking place in Santa Marta, located near the Varadero beach resort, and in the city of Matanzas.
The US embassy in Cuba posted on Twitter: “We call for the Cuban government to honor the human rights of the demonstrators and attend to the valid demands of the Cuban people.”
According to a spokesperson from the US state department, alleging that Washington orchestrated the protests is considered “ridiculous.”
The country of Cuba is currently experiencing a period of economic downturn, exacerbated by rising inflation and a growing gap between the wealthy and the less fortunate. The government-operated stores, known as bodegas, that typically provide rationed items like rice, beans, salt, sugar, coffee, and baby formula, are facing shortages. As a result, small retail shops have emerged throughout the country as a means of alleviating the scarcity, following the authorization for small and medium-sized private businesses to operate in Cuba.
However, due to the conversion of state salaries to black market currency rates, these private stores are now unaffordable for individuals without access to funds from overseas or jobs in the tourism and business industries.
Beatriz Johnson, the initial secretary of the communist party in Santiago, spoke to the assembly in the city from a building’s rooftop. She informed protesters that the government was currently working on creating a “food basket” that would consist of essentials like rice and sugar. Later, when asked by journalists, she stated that her description of the circumstances had been received with attention and respect.
Her approach marked a stark contrast to the government response during widespread protests in July 2021, after which more than 1,000 people were detained. At that time, Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel called on “all revolutionaries to go to the streets to defend the revolution”, adding the historically resonant command: “The order to fight has been given.”
According to Díaz-Canel, the protests on Sunday were caused by “detractors of the revolution”, “ineffective politicians”, and “terrorists” based in southern Florida.
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The US trade embargo, which has been in place for nearly 64 years, is being held accountable by the Cuban government for the country’s current economic state.
Outside Havana, where most diplomats, foreign journalists, and businesspeople reside and operate, the outlook for Cubans is becoming more grim.
On Monday, the Cuban peso was being exchanged at a rate of 325 to the dollar, although the official rate is 24. Some items have a different rate of 120. Gas prices have recently increased by five times and the GDP is currently 10% lower than its 2019 level. The amount of tourists visiting the island from Europe and Canada, which contributes significantly to income, has remained stagnant according to Tourism Analytics based in Aruba.
In February, the economy minister, Alejandro Gil, who has been closely associated with economic reforms that have contributed to increasing inflation, was fired due to serious errors. He is currently under investigation by the government.
On X, Yuliet Teresa, a writer, criticized the US embassy’s reaction to the protests as “hypocritical and cynical”. She proposed that the Cuban media should instead report on “the people’s feelings, worries, and concerns”.
The topic of Monday’s main news discussion programme on Cuba state television will be “The United States, the Miami mafia, and campaigns against Cuba.”
Source: theguardian.com
