Thousands in Cuba Protest Economic Crisis, Pandemic
HAVANA TIMES – In Cuba, thousands of people took to the streets of Havana and other cities in rare anti-government protests, denouncing the island’s economic crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuba is facing its harshest phase of the pandemic with skyrocketing infections.
The island set a new record Saturday with over 6,900 positive cases. People are scrambling to cope amid shortages of medicine, food and other resources due to catastrophic U.S. sanctions.
Called out by President Diaz Canel thousands of others led counterprotests Sunday in support of the Communist Party and its leaders, who accused the US of instigating the anti-government protests and urged the Biden administration to lift the blockade.
Paul, it really is not black and white. The problem is both the blockade and the Cuban authorities. However, the blockade absolutely does directly and indirectly affect Cubans in the street. I am a bit gobsmacked at how you can be so dismissive of it and its implications. And the US bullying of other sovereign nations to not invest in or trade with Cuba or otherwise suffer serious financial penalties has huge implications for the Cuban economy, too.
The government has less and less in the coffers to trickle down to those Cubans, though it is without doubt that those higher up are busy ensuring they themselves do not feel the pain – as happens all around the world in non-Socialist societies, too.
being stubborn seems to get cuba into a lot of trouble over something its partly responsible for the blockade
learn to deal with what the people need, not what you want for the people, without those people you have nothing but an empty island.
Paul – this is a common refrain which I don’t understand, so please explain – What is the purpose of the hotels ? Is it not to earn money which the government needs to pay for fuel, parts, food, medicine and everything ? What should the government do instead with the money to build hotels with, just spend it all on non-producing goods like food ? Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Like eating your seed corn or buying a fish instead of a fishing rod. Anti-government Cubans often complain abut this, so I hope you’ll take the time to respond.
The blockade is not the problem the problem is the government of Cuba allowing it’s citizens to die of hunger and lack of essential medicines, investing Cuba’s money in hotels and other government projects instead.
It’s time to stop shouting “Blockade” the people of Cuba don’t believe it anymore they see the truth everyday with their eyes.