Cuban National Police. (Photo by Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images)
- Protest organizers are seeking regime change with the support of the United States.
- Calls to join demonstrations in Havana and six provinces spread on social media.
- In July, During the rally, one person was killed, dozens were injured, and 1,270 were arrested.
On Monday, before the rally that the opposition vowed to hold, Cuban police deployed heavily on the streets of Havana, even though it was banned by the one-party state.
Along the city’s waterfront squares, armed policemen in uniforms gathered in almost every corner, while other civilians patrolled the city’s squares and parks.
The opposition in Cuba stated that the “15N” (November 15) rally will continue, facing the official ban and the risk of hundreds of people being criminally prosecuted in prison after the armed forces suppressed earlier protests.
The government claims that protest organizers are seeking to change the regime with the support of the United States, which maintains sanctions on the communist island.
Calls to participate in demonstrations in Havana and six provinces circulated on social media as organizers tried to highlight the hundreds of people imprisoned after a very risky demonstration in a country where public dissatisfaction rarely showed dissatisfaction in July In custody.
The spontaneous rally in July was fueled by growing anger over economic difficulties and growing demands for “freedom”, resulting in one death, dozens of injuries, and 1,270 arrests under the repression of the authorities.
According to rights group Cubalex, more than 650 people are still in prison.
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Under the banner of an organization called Archipelago, the protesters were called to take to the streets dressed in white at 15:00 on Monday, asking the country to improve human rights and democracy.
The organization was founded by Youniol García and claims to have approximately 30,000 members in and outside Cuba.
According to an AFP reporter, Garcia saw that his plan to protest alone in Havana on Sunday was blocked by the authorities, and was still blocked by national security agents from leaving his home on Monday.
Several other opposition figures and independent journalists claimed that they were confined to their homes.
-‘Defend the Revolution’-
The showdown came as the children returned to school on Monday after being closed for months due to the coronavirus outbreak, and coincided with the arrival of the first tourists (the backbone of the Cuban economy) after the border was reopened.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Twitter on Monday: “This is how Cuba at dawn on November 15th, with more than 700,000 pioneers in the classroom; hosting friends, family and tourists; Start production activities; reduce new coronavirus cases,” President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Twitter on Monday, but did not mention the protests.
On Friday, Diaz-Canel warned that his supporters were “prepared to defend the revolution” in the face of “(the United States) imperial strategy that tried to destroy the revolution.”
Cuban officials deny holding political prisoners, believe that the opposition is illegal, and claim that it is funded by Washington.
On Sunday, the United States urged the Cuban authorities to lift the protest ban.
Secretary of State Anthony Brinken said:
We call on the Cuban government to respect the rights of Cubans, allow them to assemble peacefully and speak out without worrying about government reprisals or violence, and to keep the Internet and telecommunication lines open to exchange information freely.
France joined its voice in the protest, urging Cuba to “respect the right of its citizens to protest” and expressed concern about what is happening.
In an open letter published on Sunday, dozens of Cuban and foreign NGOs condemned the “intensified wave of repression against protest organizers and citizens who identify with the movement”.
According to independent Cuban media reports, prosecutors have been demanding sentences of up to 30 years for some protesters arrested in July.
Cuba is experiencing its worst economic crisis since 1993, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and sanctions under the leadership of former US President Donald Trump.
During the campaign, the current Joe Biden promised to reverse certain punitive actions taken by his predecessor against Cuba in exchange for human rights reforms.
But after the government suppressed the protests, the United States announced further sanctions for alleged violations of human rights.
Cuban authorities are often accused of abuses of power by power monitoring agencies, including arbitrary detention of dissidents, unfair trials, and violations of freedom of speech and assembly.
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