Cuba blames unrest on U.S. sanctions, social media campaigns

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Monday blamed historic protests this weekend on U.S. “economic asphyxiation” and social media campaigns by a minority of counter-revolutionaries whereas U.S.
President Joe Biden mentioned he stood with the Cuban folks.The protests erupted amid Communist-run Cuba’s worst financial disaster for the reason that fall of former ally Soviet Union, with the tightening of decades-old U.S. sanctions exacerbating shortages of meals and medication in addition to energy outages amid a surge in COVID-19 infections.
“In the last few weeks the campaign against the Cuban revolution has increased in social media, drawing on the problems and shortages we are living,” Diaz-Canel mentioned in a televised handle alongside his Cabinet.

A minority of counter-revolutionaries had been fomenting unrest, he mentioned, denouncing vandalism that came about throughout varied cities on Sunday in Cuba’s largest anti-government demonstrations in many years.
“They threw stones at foreign currency shops, they stole items … and at police forces, they turned over cars – a totally vulgar, indecent and delinquent behavior,” he mentioned.
The streets of Havana appeared quiet on Monday morning, though particular forces patrolled its seafront boulevard.
Biden in a press release on Monday mentioned the United States stands with the folks of Cuba of their name for freedom and reduction from the coronavirus pandemic and many years of repression.”The Cuban persons are bravely asserting elementary and common rights. Those rights, together with the precise of peaceable protest and the precise to freely decide their very own future, should be revered,” Biden mentioned.
“The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves,” mentioned Biden, who throughout his White House marketing campaign promised to ease sanctions however has but to take action.
The United States had tightened sanctions on Cuba beneath Donald Trump, Biden’s predecessor, together with limiting key remittances in the course of the pandemic.
Diaz-Canel didn’t instantly handle the U.S. assertion, issued throughout his handle. But he attacked what he referred to as Washington’s hypocrisy for expressing concern when it was fueling the disaster in Cuba with its commerce embargo.”Is it not very hypocritical and cynical that you just block me … and also you wish to current your self as the large savior?” he mentioned. “Lift the blockade .. after which we’ll see what this folks, that has achieved an immense social work regardless of what’s virtually a warfare economic system, is able to.

“Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gave Cuba backing on Monday, saying the U.S. economic embargo on the island should be ended to help its people.”The fact is that if one needed to assist Cuba, the very first thing that ought to be carried out is to droop the blockade of Cuba as the vast majority of nations on the planet are asking,” Lopez Obrador advised a information convention.