Cuban The authorities confirmed on Tuesday that one person died in the demonstrations that have shaken the island in recent days due to protests against food shortages, high prices and other dissatisfaction with the government.
The Ministry of the Interior said in a statement that 36-year-old Diubis Laurencio Tejeda protested in Arroyo Naranjo, a suburb of Havana, on Monday. Died during clashes with the police. It said the number of arrests is unknown and some people were injured, including some police officers.
The statement accused the demonstrators of destroying houses, arson and destroying electrical wires. It also claimed that they attacked police and civilians with knives, stones and other objects.
The demonstrations that broke out on Sunday brought tens of thousands of Cubans to the streets, expressing dissatisfaction with shortages of goods, rising prices and power outages. Some protesters called for a change of government.
On Tuesday, a large number of police officers were still present in Havana. The police guarded key locations such as the Malecon promenade and the Capitol. Internet and mobile data services continue to be interrupted.
There were no reports of new protests, and the government tried to blame these protests on Cuban-Americans who used social media to incite unrest in Cuba.
Demonstrations in several towns are one of the biggest manifestations of anti-government sentiment seen in tightly controlled Cuba over the years. Due to the sanctions imposed by the United States, Cuba is facing its worst economic crisis in decades and is facing a surge in coronavirus cases. The administration of US President Donald Trump.
The rare opposition led former President Raul Castro to discuss the situation with other top leaders on Monday.
The Roman Catholic bishop of Cuba called for violence to be avoided.
They said in a statement: “We understand that the government has the responsibility and try to take measures to alleviate the above difficulties, but we also understand that the people have the right to express their needs, desires and hopes.”
Thousands of Cubans take to the streets in the largest anti-government protest in decades
The demonstrations on an island where opposition to the government hardly tolerated was very unusual. Nearly 30 years ago, in 1994, the last large-scale demonstration publicly expressed dissatisfaction with economic difficulties. Last year, artists and other groups held small demonstrations, but they were not as large or extensive as the one that broke out last weekend.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Majorcas told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that the United States has not seen any surge in immigration from Cuba, at least so far.
He also warned Cubans that, in accordance with long-term agreements designed to prevent people from attempting dangerous crossings, any migrants intercepted at sea will return to their home countries or be sent to other countries.
“The humanitarian message to the Cuban people is not to go to sea,” Majorcas said. “People die when they try to move irregularly through sea lanes.”
The issue of Cuban immigration against the government resonated with Majorcas, whose family fled the Cuban Revolution in the 1960s.
“I understand what it means for my father to lose everything he built for a young family,” he said. “We stand with the Cuban people.”
© 2021 Canadian Press
