Political turmoil, severe economic struggles and lack of freedom have pushed Cubans to take a stand against their government.
People walking the streets of Havana, Cuba. Tiago Claro. Unsplash.
Thousands of Cubans marched the streets of Havana on Sunday, July 11 in protest against the poor economic conditions and governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other hardships, many demonstrators have faced long-term hunger and medicine shortages due to the Cuban government's lack of action to address the struggles of its people. These protests have led to the damaging of police equipment, the detainment of a journalist and the death of a civilian.
Besides having a mere 15 percent vaccination rate, due to shortages, pharmacies and hospitals lack even the most basic medicines such as penicillin and aspirin. According to Cuban healthcare authorities, on Sunday there were almost 7,000 new reported COVID-19 cases, with a total of nearly 240,000 COVID-19 patients across the country. Many Cubans have also reported having to wait hours in line to purchase food, if they even have access to food to begin with.
These cruel living conditions have pushed many Cubans to a breaking point—in fact, these protests mark the first large-scale acts of defiance that Cuba has seen since the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The main difference since then is the easy accessibility of the internet, which has been used to spread the word about the protests and inspire a larger turnout. In an attempt to silence protesters on social media, internet access across Cuba was cut off for roughly 30 minutes amidst protests on July 11, with shutdowns intermittently continuing. This makes the stories from activists who were arrested or beaten by police difficult to corroborate due to lack of evidence.
Despite suppression efforts, protesters have managed to maintain a far reach, with Cuban communities such as Little Havana in Miami gathering in solidarity with Cubans. The Cuban protest movement has also garnered international support on social media with the hashtag #SOSCuba, and many celebrities have gotten involved to raise awareness about the protests.
In response to the unrest, the Cuban government has directed the blame toward the American trade embargo, which they believe is responsible for the nationwide shortages. While some activists agree with this point, others have argued that the issue goes far beyond the American embargo, and that it is more due to governmental financial mismanagement and a lack of tourism revenue.
Zara Irshad
Zara is a third year Communication student at the University of California, San Diego. Her passion for journalism comes from her love of storytelling and desire to learn about others. In addition to writing at CATALYST, she is an Opinion Writer for the UCSD Guardian, which allows her to incorporate various perspectives into her work.