I am close to the dear Cuban people in these difficult times

On July 11, a popular demonstration took place in Cuba in the western municipality of San Antonio de los Baños, triggered by the economic crisis and the increase in coronavirus cases, which then recurred in other parts of the country.

The demonstrations, unprecedented since the 1990s, during the crisis that arose over the fall of the Soviet Union, which was the main ally of the Cuban executive, led to clashes with the police and government supporters called on by President Miguel Díaz-Canel to defend streets suspected of inciting demonstrations from outside the island.

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Without a defined agenda or leadership, protesters reiterate ‘freedom’ slogans and demand changes in country, amid demands for humanitarian intervention with the alleged aim of dealing with the ravages of the pandemic.

In this scenario, riots and vandalism were recorded which led to a series of arrests across the country, and at least one person died in unspecified circumstances during a clash with police in Havana.

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Díaz-Canel admitted that there are reasons for the social unrest, but he attributed them fundamentally to the economic, financial and trade blockade that the United States has maintained against Cuba for more than six decades., but this is particularly visible in the lack of supplies to combat the coronavirus pandemic.