Protests In Cuba:
Thousands of Cubans took to the streets across the country to protest longstanding restrictions on rights, scarcity of food and medicines, and the government’s poor response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- These protests are the biggest anti-government demonstrations on the Communist-run island in decades.
Ongoing Protests:
- The anti-government protests erupted amid Cuba’s worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, its former ally, or end of the cold war (1945-1991).
- Cuba has been an authoritarian communist state for more than six decades.
- Cuba has been hit hard by US sanctions and Covid-19.
- Cubans have been angered by the collapse of the economy, food and medicine shortages, price hikes and the government’s handling of the pandemic.
- Protesters shouted “freedom” and demanded for President Miguel Diaz-Canel to step down.
- On the other hand, Cuba’s President blamed the US for the turmoil.
- He called tight sanctions imposed by the US on Cuba, has resulted in a policy of economic suffocation and is the prime reason for protests in Cuba.
- Further, the US President said the US stands with the people of Cuba in their call for freedom.
