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marzo 18, 2024
The content material initially appeared on: Latin America Information – Aljazeera
Uncommon protests have taken place in Cuba because the island nation’s financial disaster persists.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel referred to as for calm on Monday after a whole bunch of individuals gathered in Santiago, Cuba’s second largest metropolis, to reveal towards energy blackouts and meals shortages a day prior.
Social media movies confirmed crowds within the communist-governed nation chanting, “Energy and meals.”
Diaz-Canel blamed america for upsetting the unrest, and his authorities summoned the US’s prime diplomat to Cuba for assembly on Monday.
A wave of blackouts in Cuba has lately seen energy provides reduce for as much as 18 hours or extra in a day. That, in flip, has jeopardised meals provides and financial exercise within the cash-strapped nation.
Cuba is battling its worst financial disaster in a long time, brought on partially by the COVID-19 pandemic, which noticed the move of much-needed tourism {dollars} plunge. Its economic system has additionally lengthy been stymied by US commerce embargoes and up to date sanctions imposed throughout Donald Trump’s presidency.
Diaz-Canel referred to as for dialogue and “peace”.
“A number of individuals have expressed their dissatisfaction with the scenario {of electrical} service and meals distribution,” he wrote on X.
“The disposition of the authorities of the get together, the state and the federal government is to take care of the complaints of our individuals, pay attention, dialogue, clarify the quite a few efforts which can be being carried out to enhance the scenario, all the time in an environment of tranquility and peace,” he added.
The president blamed authorities “enemies” and “mediocre politicians and terrorists” within the US for attempting to hijack the protests. Vedant Patel, a US State Division spokesperson, vigorously denied these allegations in a press convention on Monday.
“America will not be behind these protests in Cuba and the accusation of that’s absurd,” Patel mentioned.
In the meantime, the US embassy in Havana mentioned in a submit on X that it had obtained studies of protests in Bayamo, Granma and different places. It urged the federal government “to respect the human rights of the protesters and handle the respectable wants of the Cuban individuals”.
The protests in Santiago had been peaceable as demonstrators shouted, “Down with communism. Down with Diaz-Canal.” Movies on social media confirmed no indicators of scuffles or arrests. A lot of state safety forces had been additionally in attendance.
Nonetheless, web providers had been down late on Sunday till early Monday, based on some studies.
Havana cracked down closely on large protests in July 2021, the widest demonstrations seen in Cuba since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. The response was criticised by the worldwide neighborhood.
Since 1960, the US has maintained an financial embargo on Cuba, which restricts commerce between the international locations.
For the primary time, Cuba turned to the UN’s World Meals Programme in February, requesting assist in supplying milk to youngsters, the organisation mentioned.
