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Thousands of Cubans marched on Havana’s Malecon promenade and elsewhere to protest food shortages and high prices amid the coronavirus crisis, in one of the largest anti-government protests in memory.
Many young people took part in the Sunday afternoon demonstration in the capital, which disrupted traffic until police intervened after several hours when a few protesters threw stones.
Police initially fell behind as protesters chanted “freedom”, “enough” and “unite”. A motorcyclist pulled out an American flag, but it was ripped off by others.
“We are fed up with queues, shortages. That’s why I’m here, ”a middle-aged protester told The Associated Press. He refused to identify himself for fear of being arrested later.
Cuba is going through its worst economic crisis in decades, accompanied by a resurgence of coronavirus cases, as it suffers the consequences of US sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
A Biden administration official tweeted his support for Sunday’s protests. Julie Chung, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, tweeted: “Peaceful protests are on the rise in Cuba as the Cuban people exercise their right to peaceful assembly to express concern over rising Covid cases / deaths and drug shortages. We salute the many efforts of the Cuban people to mobilize donations to help neighbors in need. “
The demonstration grew to a few thousand in the vicinity of Galeano Avenue and the demonstrators continued despite some police charges and tear gas fire. People standing on numerous balconies along the central thoroughfare of the Centro Habana district applauded the passing demonstrators. Others joined in the march.
Many people tried to pull out their phones and broadcast the protest live, but Cuban authorities shut down internet service throughout the afternoon.
About two and a half hours after the start of the march, some protesters tore up cobblestones and threw them at the police, at which point the officers started arresting people and the protesters dispersed.
A group of government supporters also arrived in the area, shouting slogans in support of the late President Fidel Castro and the revolution. Some of them assaulted an AP cameraman and photographer.
Demonstrations also took place elsewhere on the island, including in the small town of San Antonio de los Banos, where people protested against the power outages and were visited by President Miguel Díaz-Canel. He entered a few houses, where he answered questions from residents.
Subsequently, however, he accused the “Cuban-American mafia” of causing trouble.
“As if pandemic epidemics had not existed all over the world, the Cuban-American mafia, paying very well on social networks, influencers and YouTubers, created a whole campaign … and called for demonstrations across the country, ”said Díaz-Canel. journalists.
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