Diaz-Canel Calls Blackout Protests in Cuba a USA Plan
At the same time, he commented that he isn’t discounting the possibility of arriving at a better understanding with Cuba’s northern neighbor.
HAVANA TIMES – Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said Friday that those who blame the Cuban government for the prolonged blackouts of the last few weeks, “are responding the way the counterrevolution wants.”
The leader’s statement came just after the participation of Livian Arronte, the minister of Energy and Mines who is responsible for the state electricity company, during the closing round of sessions of the People’s Power Assembly.
Diaz-Canel recognized that there is great discontent among the population due to the constant power cuts, which have been increasing in the last few months. However, he clarified: “You can be certain that no one here purposely plans the blackouts to annoy anyone.”
“There are some people who express their discomfort and their failure to understand – which are legitimate, because they’re experiencing a situation that affects them – by banging pots, or verbally crying out against the leaders. Some take advantage of the occasion to voice some slogan against the revolution; others participate in vandalism and throw rocks or break glass; that won’t resolve the situation we have,” he stressed.
The electricity cuts, together with food and medicine shortages, and other serious problems, were among the factors that sparked the anti-government protests in Cuba a year ago, when the island saw the largest demonstrations in decades.
In recent weeks, there have been some nighttime protests against the blackouts, in the city of Camaguey and the town of Los Palacios, among others.
The President declared that some of the demonstrators, “out of conviction or not, are responding the what the counterrevolution wants,” adding later: “That’s what those who blockade us want, those who are the main cause of this whole situation,” in reference to the US sanctions.
“[Those who protest] are acting according to the enemy’s plan, not our plan. Our plan must be of understanding, of solidarity and, as always, of resistance,” Diaz-Canel stated.
In that same sense, Diaz-Canel repeated that the United States government maintains its objective of subverting the social and political order of the country. At the same time, he commented that he wouldn’t cross off the possibility of a greater understanding with Cuba’s neighbor.
At the close of the plenary session of the legislature, Diaz-Canel accused the Biden administration of applying already practiced formulas of non-conventional warfare they’ve applied in other parts of the world.
According to the Cuban leader: “That aggressiveness is also reinforced by the subversive programs that never cease in their attempts to destabilize the country politically.”
The leader affirmed that the US “attempted once again to force a popular uprising in Cuba during this month of July [2021]” and failed in that same month. His comments referred to the massive anti-government protests on July 11 of the previous year.
Diaz-Canel also denounced that the US government’s launching of “intensive campaigns” towards on the social networks and applying “strong economic pressures” seeking to depress the Cuban population’s standard of living, generating problems in essential services such as electricity and in the level of consumption and access to basic products.
“What they’re after is to destroy the revolutionary process and what it means,” he assured.
The ruler reiterated that despite Washington’s aggressive policies, “we don’t discount the eventual possibility of a better understanding with the US government through a relationship of respect (…) We’re convinced that there’s mutual interest in an exchange between the two nations, despite our great differences.”
Along the same lines, he said that Cuba is willing to “advance in that direction and to hold a dialogue on any topic” but “without damaging our sovereignty.”
Translation by: TranslatingCuba.com
Embargo, blockade blah blah blah. Always someone else’s fault but not the fault of the Cuban government administration. When are the Cuban people going to wake up and overthrow this inept government and it’s policies.
In other words he wants people to make more sacrifices to keep the Communist party and the Castro family in power, and the international dated leftists dreaming about the Cuban “revolution” Great.