The foreign ministry of Cuba has called upon the US ambassador, Benjamin Ziff, to attend a meeting, claiming that the protest in Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city on the island, was instigated by the actions of Washington.
On Sunday, a public display of discontent towards Cuba’s communist regime occurred, led by parents who were dealing with the challenge of providing food for their children as the food crisis in the country worsens. Chants of “The people can’t take the heat without electricity and food” were reportedly heard from the protesters.
Due to daily power outages lasting for up to 18 hours, the island is facing difficulties in preserving the limited food supply as it enters the summer season.
Sunday’s protests reportedly began when mothers turned up at a government building complaining they could not provide for their children, chanting: “We are hungry.”
Protests of a similar nature occurred in El Cobre and Bayamo, with smaller gatherings taking place in Santa Marta, close to the Varadero beach resort, and also in the city of Matanzas.
The Cuban government is being urged by the US embassy to uphold the human rights of protestors and address the valid needs of the Cuban citizens.
According to a spokesperson from the US state department, it is unreasonable to claim that the United States orchestrated the protests.
Cuba is in the grip of an economic slump, worsened by soaring inflation and the sense of an increasing divide between rich and poor. The state-run bodegas where Cubans traditionally receive their rations of staples such as rice, beans, salt, sugar, coffee and, crucially, baby milk, are increasingly empty. Meanwhile, small shops have popped up across the island after small and medium-sized private enterprises were allowed to open in an effort to ease the shortages.
However, due to the decline of state wages to $10 per month when compared to the value of the black market exchange rate, the goods sold in these private shops are unaffordable for individuals who do not have access to foreign money or hard currency earned from employment in the tourism or business industries.
Beatriz Johnson, the initial secretary of the communist party in Santiago, spoke to protesters from a rooftop in Santiago. She informed them that the government was currently assembling a “food basket” that would consist of rice and sugar. In a later statement to journalists, she claimed that her explanations had been received with attention and respect.
In July 2021, during widespread protests, the government responded starkly different compared to her approach. More than 1,000 individuals were detained. During that time, Miguel Díaz-Canel, the president of Cuba, urged all revolutionaries to take to the streets in defense of the revolution. He also invoked the historically significant phrase: “The order to fight has been given.”
Díaz-Canel attributed the protests that took place on Sunday to “detractors of the revolution,” “incompetent politicians,” and “terrorists” located in southern Florida.
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The Cuban government claims that the economic state of Cuba is a result of the US trade embargo, which has been in effect for almost 64 years.
In areas beyond Havana, such as where most diplomats, international journalists, and entrepreneurs reside and operate, the conditions for Cubans are becoming increasingly dismal.
On Monday, the Cuban peso was valued at 325 to the dollar in the market, which is significantly higher than the official rate of 24 (although a different rate of 120 is applied for certain goods). In addition, the cost of gasoline has recently increased by five times, and the GDP has declined by 10% compared to its level in 2019. According to Tourism Analytics based in Aruba, there has been a standstill in the number of tourists arriving from Europe and Canada, which is a significant source of income for the island.
In February, the country’s Minister of Economy, Alejandro Gil, who has been publicly associated with economic policies that have led to a rise in inflation, was fired due to “serious mistakes.” He is currently under investigation by the government.
On X, Yuliet Teresa, the writer, criticized the US embassy’s reaction to the demonstrations as “hypocritical and cynical”. She proposed that the Cuban media should instead focus on sharing “the emotions, fears, and worries” of the people.
The main news discussion program on Cuba state television revealed that the topic of Monday’s show will focus on “The United States, the Miami mafia, and their efforts against Cuba.”
Source: theguardian.com
