Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 10:15, 22 July 2021

2021 Cuban protests
Part of the Cuban dissident movement and protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
People in Havana on 11 July
Date	11 July 2021 – present
Location	Cuba and localized support rallies around the world, especially in Florida
Caused by	Shortage of food and medicine Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic United States embargo against Cuba and the latter's lack of promised reforms Authoritarianism and reduced civil liberties
Goals	Resignation of Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel End of Communist rule United States humanitarian intervention (demanded by some Cuban exiles in Belgium, Canada, and the United States)
Methods	Protest marches, looting of state-owned shops, rioting, social media activism
Concessions	Government temporarily lifts limit on food and medicine that can be imported without duties
Parties
Opposition Assembly of the Cuban Resistance Patriotic Union of Cuba San Isidro Movement Civilian protesters Government Communist Party of Cuba National Revolutionary Police Pro-government counter-protesters
Lead figures
No centralized leadership Miguel Díaz-Canel (First Secretary and President) Salvador Valdés Mesa (Vice President) Manuel Marrero Cruz (Prime Minister) Esteban Lazo Hernández (Assembly President) Álvaro López Miera (Defense Minister) Raúl Castro (former First Secretary)
Casualties
Death(s)	1 protester dead (5 according to Cuba Decide)
Injuries	A few police officers, and protesters and counter-protesters
Arrested	~400 (according to Human Rights Watch)

A series of protests against the Cuban government and the ruling Communist Party of Cuba began on 11 July 2021, triggered by a shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba.

The protests have been described as the largest anti-government demonstrations since the Maleconazo in 1994. Protesters were disaffected by "the government's strict authoritarianism" according to The Independent, and some journalists, such as Cuban Washington Post columnist Abraham Jiménez Enoa, stated that Cuba's political system triggered or prompted the protests, even more than the United States embargo against Cuba, which is described as still part of the problem. Some news outlets, such as NBC News, Reuters, and Vox, mentioned curbs on civil liberties due the strict COVID-19 pandemic lockdown rules imposed by the government and the lack of promised economic and political reform in light of the crisis.

Many international figures have called for dialogue, asking that the Cuban authorities respect the protesters' freedom of assembly and peaceful demonstrations, and for an end to the American embargo. Protesters abroad have called for the United States to provide humanitarian aid, while some Cuban exiles and Floridian politicians have also called for military United States foreign intervention. As of 14 July, one person has been confirmed dead during a clash between protesters and police; the dissident organization Cuba Decide estimates five deaths.

Background

In 2020, the economic situation in Cuba worsened. The Cuban economy contracted by 10.9% in 2020, and by 2% in the first six months of 2021. The economic crises emerged from a combination of factors, including reduced financial support (subsidized fuel) from Cuba's ally Venezuela, the United States embargo against Cuba and United States sanctions (tightened by the Trump administration in 2019), and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the industry of tourism in Cuba and led to a decrease in remittances from Cubans abroad. Currency reform, which limited Cuban pesos exchange for United States dollars because the government needed the reform package to finance imports, led to soaring inflation, with rates estimated to be 500%. This economic situation has been exacerbated by sanctions, inefficiencies of Cuba's Soviet style-centrally planned economy, and a lack of reforms that other Communist states have taken, with Pavel Vidal, a former Cuban central bank economist who teaches at Javeriana University in Colombia, saying reforms in Cuba "do not depend on the embargo, and the embargo should be eliminated unilaterally, independently from reforms in Cuba. Both cause problems." The Cuban government has blamed the crisis on the trade embargo and its tightness as well as the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Cuban scholar Lillian Guerra, the food shortages and high prices are the result of government spending money on building hotels and tourists facilities.

Deteriorating economic conditions led to reductions in Cubans' standard of living, shortages of food and other basic products, a shortage in hard currency, and persistent power outages. Promised economic reforms, which according to NBC News' Carmen Sesin were needed and are another cause of discontent alongside the embargo, did not materialize, in part because of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic according to the Cuban government. The government refused to receive COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX initiative or buy foreign ones, opting to develop its own one instead, the Soberana 02. The delayed process and slow vaccine rollout angered some Cubans and prompted their calls for more vaccines. At the time the protests had broken out, about 15% of the Cuban population was fully vaccinated. In 2021, COVID-19 cases began to surge especially in the Matanzas Province, and the situation was further aggravated by the shortage of medicines and food. Cuba responded by deploying more doctors to the province. The protests were also fuelled by dissatisfaction with Cuba's government, which is authoritarian, with protesters "demanding an end to the 62-year dictatorship" according to The Wall Street Journal, and exerts tight control using its intelligence, police, and security apparatus, which has been described as a police state that has provided intelligence support to allied governments, such as Nicaragua and Venezuela. The government's curbs on Cubans' civil liberties has prompted resentment.

Increased use of social media also mobilized participants in the demonstrations; internet access in Cuba began to sure in 2008, and 3G mobile phone service came to the island in 2019, leading to widespread adoption. In a July 2019 article for The Washington Post, Faiola stated that "Cubans are using social media to air their grievances — and the government is responding, sometimes." At that time, they were not demanding political change but wanted their government to be more responsive. Due to the evolving crises, a social media campaign using the hashtags SOSCUBA and SOSMATANZAS was initiated to collect money, medical materials, food, and other supplies to be sent to Cuba. Various international figures such as Don Omar, Ricardo Montaner, Alejandro Sanz, Nicky Jam, J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Becky G, and Mia Khalifa joined the request. The Cuban government recognized the crisis describing it as "very complex" but rejected a proposed humanitarian corridor and described the campaign as an attempt to misrepresent the situation. Cuba set up a bank account to receive aid and said that it was open to receive donations, although the designated account is in a Cuban bank under United States sanctions. According to the Miami Herald, the Cuban government has historically refused or seized aid coming from Cuban exiles. During the protests, as the government shut down access to several social media websites, over one million protesters began using the tool Psiphon.

Protests

11 July

On 11 July 2021, at least two demonstrations emerged in San Antonio de los Baños, near Havana, and Palma Soriano, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, singing the song "Patria y Vida" ("Homeland and Life"), which inspired the protests according to Nancy San Martín and Mimi Whitefield. The song's name is an inversion of the Cuban Revolution motto Patria o Muerte ("Homeland or Death"). Videos of protesters singing slogans of "Freedom", "Down with communism", and "We are not afraid" were broadcast on social networks in addition to protesters demanding vaccines. Opposition media outlets such as Radio y Televisión Martí have published social media videos of protests in Malecón, Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Bayamo, Guantánamo, San José de las Lajas, Holguín, and Cárdenas. According to Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, an exiled dissident of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, there were protests in more than fifteen cities and towns in Cuba. Gutiérrez asked the United States government to lead an international intervention to prevent protesters from being "victims of a bloodbath" (baño de sangre). The San Isidro Movement called on the protesters to march to Malecón. Writing in Slate, Ted Henken suggested that the Cuban demonstrators' use of the Internet to mobilize and publicize the protests showed "that the Internet can still be a force for democracy" and wrote that "in authoritarian contexts like Cuba, where the government has long since monopolized the mass media and transformed journalism into political propaganda, access to unfiltered channels of information and communication can indeed shift the balance of power in small but powerful ways."

Cuban president and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Díaz-Canel said that the United States embargo against Cuba and economic sanctions were responsible for the conditions that led to the unrest. He urged government-supporting citizens to take to the streets in counter-protest to respond to the demonstrations, saying in a special television broadcast: "The order to fight is given, the revolutionaries to the streets." The Cuban government called the protests counter-revolutionary. Younger Cubans comprised the majority of protesters, while some members of older generations responded to demonstrations, assisting Cuban authorities.

Following Díaz-Canel's statements, about 300 government supporters arrived at El Capitolio; the Miami Herald reported that one Associated Press (AP) cameraman was assaulted by these counter-protesters while a separate AP photographer was injured by police. AP photographer Ramon Espinosa was detained by authorities as well. San Antonio residents reported that the police repressed protesters and detained certain participants. In videos circulated on social media, people were seen throwing stones at police while reports of authorities beating demonstrators were heard. By the evening, protests had dissipated.

Cuban journalist Yoani Sánchez reported that after the protests on 11 July some were injured and there were hundreds of detentions. José Miguel Vivanco, director of the Human Rights Watch's Americas division, said: "This is pretty massive. My sense is that this is a combination of social unrest based on a lack of freedoms, and covid, and economic conditions. The lack of access to electricity. The blackouts. ... People are screaming for freedom." Cuban journalist Abraham Jiménez Enoa tweeted from Havana: "Cuba is an island ruled by the military for 62 years. Today there is no food, no medicine, and people are dying like flies from Covid. People got tired. This country is losing even fear." The small class of private entrepreneurs in Cuba, such as Nidialys Acosta, said that protests in the middle of a pandemic are not the solution and do not agree with Diaz-Canel inciting the revolutionaries to the streets either. The Washington Post quoted Acosta as saying: "I could not believe the magnitude. People are tired. It has been aggravated in recent weeks by blackouts. There are blackouts of six hours in a row in the countryside."

12 July

On 12 July, more protests were reported in Cuba. A journalist from the Spanish newspaper ABC was arrested. Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported that social media platforms in Cuba were censored beginning on 12 July 2021, although virtual private networks were able to bypass government blockages and with a police presence in the streets of Havana. Dozens of women gathered in front of police stations to inquire about the whereabouts of their husbands, children and relatives arrested or disappeared during the events of the previous day. Faced with the accusations of missing persons, Díaz-Canel stated: "They have already come up with the fact that in Cuba we repress, we murder. Where are the Cuban murders? Where is the Cuban repression? Where are the disappeared in Cuba?"

A meeting of the top leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba including former First Secretary Raúl Castro was held where the issue of the protests was addressed, releasing a statement that "the provocations orchestrated by counterrevolutionary elements, organized and financed from the United States with destabilizing purposes, were analyzed." Díaz-Canel accused the United States of using a policy of "economic asphyxiation cause social unrest" in Cuba. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla labeled the protesters as vandals. Authorities blocked access to social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram.

Starting on 12 July, some abroad supporters and Cuban exiles in Florida called for military United States foreign intervention. Miami mayor Francis X. Suarez stated the United States should consider air strikes against Cuba. Some international politicians and abroad Cubans blamed the United States embargo against Cuba. The Cuban government blamed the protests on United States interference and "U.S.-financed 'counter-revolutionaries' exploiting hardship caused by the decades-old U.S. trade embargo that Washington tightened in the midst of the pandemic, pushing the Cuban economy to the brink."

13 July

Cuba's Ministry of Interior stated that it "mourns the death" of a 36-year-old man named as Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, who had taken part to the protests. The dissident organization Cuba Decide estimated a toll of five deaths during the protests.

During a live interview with the Spanish television program Todo es mentira, Cuban YouTuber and activist Dina Stars was detained by Cuban security officers. She was later released after being accused of promoting protests in Cuba and stated that "they didn't torture me or kidnap me." In Miami, Florida, protesters temporarily blocked the Palmetto Expressway in both directions in order to show support for the Cuban protesters. Some newspapers reported that the protesters were in violation of a Florida anti-riot law; however, none of the protesters have been charged, and Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis said he did not think the law applied.

In response to protesters tired of hardship and wanting change, former Cuban central bank economist Pavel Vidal stated: "There is a lack of credibility over the promised reforms. ... It's not just the economic crisis. People don't have hope in getting out of the crisis in a definitive way." The United States State Department said it expedites any request to export humanitarian or medical supplies to Cuba, which imported $123 million worth of chicken from the United States in the first six months of 2021.

14 July

The web page CiberCuba released a video where allegedly a black beret-wearing group, the Cuban police, break into the house of a demonstrator and fire at him immediately in front of his wife and children, detaining him afterwards. According to the organization of lawyers Cubalex, over 200 people have been detained and many remain in detention as of 15 July. Deputy Minister of the Interior Jesús Manuel Burón Tabit questioned decision-making within the ministry and the Security Council as well as what he called the excessive use of police force to repress the demonstrations; the Cuban government denied that he resigned after his statements.

In order to deal with the shortages, the Cuban Chamber of Commerce lifted customs restrictions that limited imports of hygiene products, medicine and food, which one of the protesters demanded the government should do. Travelers would be allowed to bring these products into Cuba between 19 July and 31 December 2021 without being subject to customs duties. In addition, directors of state-owned enterprises would be given the authority to determine their employees' salaries, while small- and medium-sized privately-owned businesses would be able to be organized. The government also announced it would be improving on the electricity system, of which problems ETECSA did not provide explanation until Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla attribute them to power outages and difficulties with food or transportation. Access to internet in Cuba was partially restored, although with an unstable network of intermittent functionality, while access to social media and instant messaging applications remained blocked.

Díaz-Canel stated that there are three kinds of protesters: counter-revolutionaries, criminals, and those with legitimate frustrations. In a national address on Wednesday evening, Díaz-Canel called on Cubans not to "act with hate" but also admitted some failures by the government, explaining: "We have to gain experience from the disturbances. We also have to carry out a critical analysis of our problems in order to act and overcome, and avoid their repetition."

16 July

Earlier on 14 July, Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla claimed to have "irrefutable proof that the majority of those that took part in this (internet) campaign were in the United States and used automated systems to make content go viral, without being penalized by Twitter", which analysts from the Agence France-Presse (AFP), in an article published on 16 July, found to be an exaggeration.

Cuban political scientist Harold Cardenas stated that "it would be a simplification to say it's a US campaign because there are obviously many other reasons behind the protests. I know communists that were detained the other day for taking part in protests. That's not to say that the United States has no responsibility in the unrest intentionally asphyxiate the Cuban people." Cardenas added that social media has been "used to create parallel realities", mentioning fake news and doctored images shared in Cuba during the protests, and "here has been an effort from abroad to create uncertainty in the country", but criticized the Cuban government for "attributing an exaggerated importance to Twitter", as people are genuinely "fed up and economically exhausted." Spanish social media expert Julian Macias Tovar agreed with Cardenas, stating: "Beyond this being a campaign orchestrated there are people who are mobilizing, people who are demonstrating against the government, people who have petitions what the Cuban government must do is respect the right to protest."

17 July

Tens of thousands pro-government demonstrators held a government-organized demonstration in Havana along the city's waterfront. Former first secretary Castro and current first secretary Díaz-Canel spoke during the event. The turnout at the rally was said by the government to be around 100,000. Díaz-Canel reiterated blame of the unrest on the United States and the embargo, which he described as "the blockade, aggression and terror", as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a social media campaign by Cuban American groups, but he later acknowledged also some responsibility by Cuba's leaders. About the protesters, he stated that there were four sectors involved in the protests: radical supporters of the United States who waved that country's flag during the protests and demanded military intervention, criminals who took advantage of the situation to loot, people genuinely desperate due to the impact of the crisis on their daily lives, and young people who felt disenfranchised.

In response to the government concessions, José Jasan Nieves, director of the independent digital newspaper El Toque, stated: "The Cuban government has just shown that it could have allowed the entry of food and medicine without quantity limits or tariffs all along but chose not to do so for more than a year of the pandemic." According to Cuban economist Omar Everleny Pérez, the measures announced by the government, such as permits for private entrepreneurs to import goods without going through the state and allowing foreign companies to install retail markets or raising the ceiling for agricultural prices in order to increase supply, "are positive measures, but they are insufficient. Without affecting the ideology, there is a lot of space in which the state can take action." William M. LeoGrande said the economic challenges are great, commenting: "I think the government is just trying to signal to people that it understands their desperation and that it's going to try to alleviate some of the misery that they're experiencing. The problem is that the government just doesn't have much in the way of resources that it can devote to doing that."

Misinformation

Both the government and some of its critics have advised Cubans to be careful of non-verified information, as some of the stories were amplified by Cubans abroad in support of the protests. The Cuban government said that "stories, which spread on social media and messaging apps, were part of a broader U.S.-backed attempt by counter-revolutionaries to destabilize the country", while government critics accused the authorities of planting the stories "to muddy online waters with misinformation and sow confusion so that no-one trusts future news of unrest." According to Reuters, fake news spread following the protests in Cuba. Among them are that former first secretary Raúl Castro had fled to Cuba's ally Venezuela, protesters had kidnapped a provincial Communist Party of Cuba chief, and Caracas was sending in troops.

The Cuban government said such stories were spread by counter-revolutionaries, while critics said that they may have come from the authorities themselves, with Al Jazeera noting that neither provided evidence for their claims and that Reuters was not able to ascertain the origins of the stories. Mexican-based communications specialist José Raúl Gallego stated: "Often it is state security launching these kind of rumors to afterwards ... say they are foreign-directed campaigns to manipulate Cubans so people stop trusting in information circulating outside government control." According to Al Jazeera, the proliferation of manufactured or misleading videos and content on social media has become a common feature of recent protests around the world, such as in Bolivia, Chile, France, and the United States. In addition, posts shared thousands of times were mislabeled as Cuban protests, including photos from a large crowd during Cuba's 2018 May Day march and a protest from the Egyptian revolution of 2011.

The Cuban government has also blamed "a Twitter campaign orchestrated by the United States", pointing out that the SOSCuba hashtag "launched in early July to highlight Cuba's healthcare crisis, the spike in Covid-19 cases, and to plead for foreign humanitarian aid"; however, experts from the AFP stated that this view is at best an exaggeration. Julian Macias Tovar told the AFP that there is something strange in the figures around the hashtag and something does not add up, pointing out that between 5–8 July there were just 5,000 tweets, then suddenly went to 100,000 tweets on 9 July, 1.5 million on 10 July, and 2 million on 12 July. According to Macias Tovar, the accounts tweeting the hashtag "came from many different places, and I believe there's an international network of accounts linked ideologically", the same accounts that attacked Mexico's leftist president Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the leftist governments of Argentina and Spain, and that this was a case of fake accounts or automated accounts programmed to produce a large number of tweets. Doug Madory, the director of internet analysis at the information technology firm Kentik, is more skeptical, stating: "Someone sends a tweet in the United States that puts people on the streets in Cuba? I find it hard to believe. I don't know if one could sit and try to create a Twitter campaign that holds such sway over the average Cuban that out of the air they convince them to do things they wouldn't otherwise have done." While acknowledging that there were automated tweets, Madory stated that it is "probably true also of the government themselves", which can cut off internet access.

The Express Tribune reported that several Western media outlets, such as the Financial Times, Fox News, The New York Times, Voice of America and The Washington Times, published a photo of a pro-government protest which they erroneously captioned as a photo as an anti-government one. CNN published an image of a Miami demonstration in a story about demonstrations in Cuba, while only The Guardian amended a 12 July 2021 article because the original caption on the image of people on the Máximo Gómez monument described them as anti-government protesters, when they were in fact protesters in support of the government. Journalists Ben Norton and Alan MacLeod were among the first to note the error, and MacLeod suggested they may have simply copied and pasted the Associated Press's original photo caption, replicating the error across multiple news outlets.

Reactions

Protests abroad

Cubans residing in Chile marched to the Cuban consulate in Santiago in support of the protests. Protests in Miami urging the United States to provide aid for the protests in Cuba have taken place. Demonstrations also took place at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a protest took place in front of the Cuban embassy in Buenos Aires with protesters holding placards with the phrases Patria y vida and others with the slogan S.O.S. Cuba. In São Paulo, Brazil, political parties and social movements staged a protest in favor of the Cuban government and "in defense of sovereignty" in front of the Consulate General of Cuba. A Change.org petition calling for the United States government to invade Cuba, started by a Belgian citizen, gained nearly 500,000 signatures by 21 July.

On 13 July 2021, a protest march was held starting at 6 pm between North Bergen, New Jersey, and West New York. The march would go along Bergenline Avenue, starting at 79th Street in North Bergen and ending at 60th Street in West New York. Northern Hudson County, New Jersey, has a sizable Cuban American population in it. About 300–400 people would attend a protest march in Las Vegas, Nevada, marching along the Las Vegas Strip that night.

Three people were arrested in Tampa, Florida, during a demonstration in support of the protests on the evening of 13 July 2021. Two of those were arrested under Florida's recently passed anti-riot law, the Combating Public Disorder Act. All three were charged with resisting without violence while two were charged under battery on a law enforcement officer. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper would be injured while trying to assist police officers in an arrest in Tampa during the protest there. In Orlando, an arrest was made during a protest that night. A crowd of about 500 people would gather near the intersection of Semoran Boulevard and Curry Ford Road. The crowd would eventually end spilling into the street blocking southbound traffic and once the crowd went into the street, the Orlando Police Department would ask them to disperse for 15 minutes in English and Spanish. A man would be arrested after refusing to move off the street as he was sitting there when he was asked by the police.

A group of Cuban exiles showed intention to sail into Cuba with supplies in order to support the protests. The United States Navy issued a statement asking Cubans to not cross the Straits of Florida in unauthorized vessels, recalling the deaths of 20 Cubans trying to cross the straits in recent weeks before that date: "The Coast Guard along with our local, state and federal partners are monitoring any activity , including unpermitted vessel departures from Florida to Cuba."

On 15 July 2021, a small group of Florida State University students with the Cuban-American Student Association gathered at the Florida State Capitol in solidarity with the demonstrators. On 16 July 2021, protesters scrawled Cuba Libre ("Free Cuba") on the street outside the Embassy of Cuba in Washington, D.C. In Miami, "a few dozen" would march for about two miles along Eight Street. Protests outside of Miami in Florida would be seen that day in Fort Myers, Florida with protesters walking along the Fort Myers Music Walk located in the city's downtown area.

On 13 and 16 July 2021, demonstrations of Cuban exiles occurred in Downtown Halifax, Canada. Protesters wore signs in support of those in Cuba, some of them calling for an international military intervention in the island nation. Protesters also chanted the song "Patria y Vida" ("Homeland and Life"). One protester told the local press: "Tell the world that we are fighting for our freedom." At the base of the Freedom Tower in Miami, there would be protests on July 17. Several thousand are believed to have attended with the protest starting the afternoon and going into the evening. It ended when the Freedom Tower was illuminated in the colors of the Cuban flag.

Governments

•  Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States Ronald Sanders criticized the behavior of the United States in not normalizing the relations between the two countries. In an opinion piece, he blamed the United States for the lack of all kind of freedom in Cuba and called for an end to the United States embargo against Cuba.
•  Argentina's President Alberto Fernández said that he could not say exactly what was happening in Cuba but supported the end of the embargo against Cuba.
•  Barbados's Foreign Affairs Minister Jerome Walcott called for an end to the embargo, labeling it as an "unjustified punishment on Cubans" that was isolating Cuba from the international community.
•  Bolivia's President Luis Arce expressed his support for the Cuban people who "fight against destabilizing actions." Former President Evo Morales accused the United States of launching a new Operation Condor.
•  Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro commented that it was a sad day for Cuba because people requested freedom and received shots, attacks, and prison instead. He said that there are people in Brazil who support Cuba, Venezuela, and "those kinds of people."
•  Canada said it "supports the right to freedom of expression and assembly and calls on all parties to uphold this fundamental right." Global Affairs Canada said that all sides should "exercise restraint" and "engage in peaceful and inclusive dialogue."
•  Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the repression in order "to silence protesters who peacefully claim greater freedom, better health system and better quality of life." It also added that "freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be guaranteed."
•  China's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian called for the lifting of the United States embargo on Cuba, which he said was responsible for shortage of medicine and energy in the country.
•  Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso called on the Cuban government to "start a democratic process to put an end to this situation."
•  Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said: "I want to express my solidarity with the Cuban people. I believe that a solution must be found through dialogue without the use of force, without confrontation, without violence. And it has to be Cubans who decide because Cuba is a free country, independent and sovereign. There must not be interventionism, and the health situation of the Cuban people must not be used with political purposes." López Obrador offered Mexico's help with food and vaccines, and said that the best way to help Cuba is to end the United States blockade.
•  Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega sent his expressions of support to Miguel Díaz-Canel, condemning the "permanent blockade, destabilization and aggression" against Cuba.
•  North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated through its spokesperson that "the anti-government protests that occurred in Cuba are an outcome of behind-the-scene manipulation by the outside forces coupled with their persistent anti-Cuba blockade scheming to obliterate socialism and the revolution", and expressed its support to the Cuban government.
•  Peru's Interim President Francisco Sagasti supported the protesters to "express freely and peacefully" and invoked the Cuban authorities to "consider their requirements in a democratic spirit."
•  Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia stated through its spokesperson Maria Zakharova that it is "unacceptable for there to be outside interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state or any destructive actions that would encourage the destabilization of the situation on the island."
•  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines's Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves issued a statement in support of the Cuban government.
•  Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement recognizing the right of Cubans "to demonstrate freely and peacefully" and that "forms of aid that could alleviate the situation" will be studied. In Spain, the Cuban protests provoked debate and political controversy, as Spanish right-wing politicians demanded a more serious condemnation of the Cuban government from the Spanish authorities, that the Spanish government qualify it as a dictatorship, and that Spain make the European Union adopt an active opposition policy towards it. When asked if Cuba was a dictatorship, left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded: "It is evident that Cuba is not a democracy. That said, it has to be Cuban society that finds that path (of prosperity) and the international community that helps it find that path." These acts from right-wing politicians have received criticism, being accused of using the protests as an opposition tactic against Sánchez-led left-wing government. The lack of similar harsh condemnation by the political right against events in other countries, such as in Colombia, human rights in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's repression in Egypt, was also criticized.
•  United States' President Joe Biden said that he supports the Cuban people and their "clarion call for freedom and relief." Julie J. Chung, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs for the United States Department of State, stated: "We are deeply concerned by 'calls to combat' in Cuba. We stand by the Cuban people's right for peaceful assembly. We call for calm and condemn any violence." On 12 July, the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters: "A Cuba policy shift is not currently among President Biden's top priorities."
•  Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou expressed his support for the opposition protesters, saying they had "commendable courage."
•  Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro expressed "all the support to the Cuban revolutionary government" on a phone call to Díaz-Canel.
•  Vietnam urged the United States to "take concrete steps in the direction of normalizing relations with Cuba for the benefit of the two peoples, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world."

Supranational organizations

•  European Union's Foreign Relations Chief Josep Borrell said that "the Cuban people have a right to express their opinion" and that he would "personally call on the government there to allow peaceful demonstrations and to listen to the voice of discontent from demonstrators."
•  Organization of American States' Secretary General Luis Almagro condemned the "Cuban dictatorial regime for calling on civilians to repress and confronting those who exercise their rights to protest."
•  United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for the urgent release of those detained for "exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly, opinion and expression" in the protests.

Human rights groups

• Erika Guevara Rosas, director of Amnesty International for the Americas, said that "Amnesty International received with alarm reports of internet blackouts, arbitrary arrests, excessive use of force – including police firing on demonstrators – and reports that there is a long list of missing persons." Amnesty International called on the government of Díaz-Canel to respect the right of peaceful assembly.

Others

• Mayor of Miami Francis X. Suarez, a Cuban American, stated it was time for a United States-led international intervention in Cuba, saying: "We are asking the federal government to do everything possible and not waste this moment." Senator from Kentucky Marsha Blackburn stated that she was in support of the protests and protesters who wanted to end "the ravages of socialism in Cuba", and asked for President Joe Biden to support the protesters.
• Republican Senator from Florida Marco Rubio demanded President Biden to call on Cuba's military to support protesters, while Democratic Senator from New Jersey Bob Menendez said the United States should "stand in solidarity with the brave people of Cuba that are risking their lives today for change in their country and a future of Patria y Vida." Democratic Senator from Connecticut Chris Murphy argued that the embargo against Cuba had not worked and empowered the Cuban government.
• Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared that "the desire for change, freedom and the demand for fundamental rights are irrepressible forces. From Venezuela, we reiterate our support for the entire pro-democracy movement in Cuba."
• Mauricio Macri, former president of Argentina, distanced himself from President Fernández and gave his full support to the demonstrators, saying: "I want to support the Cuban people in the streets requesting the end of the dictatorship and an improvement of their life conditions. Let them know that all the people in the continent and the world who share the value of liberty are with them." Similar messages were delivered by Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, mayor of Buenos Aires, and María Eugenia Vidal, former governor of the Buenos Aires Province. Macri also signed a letter of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas, alongside other former presidents.
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former Brazilian president, said during a candidacy for president event next year in Brazil that if Cuba did not have a blockade by the United States, the country "could be Holland", and said that the blockade was a form of "killing human beings without being at war."
• The far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS) accused the United States of trying to "provoke a coup in Cuba and forcibly overthrow President Miguel Díaz-Canel", while adding that Serbia should be included in sending humanitarian aid to Cuba, considering that "Cuba is a friendly state that has not recognized the self-proclaimed independence of the so-called Kosovo."
• Expressing support for the protesters, Representative from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned the "anti-democratic actions" of the government of President Miguel Díaz-Canel, saying: "The suppression of media, speech and protest are all gross violations of civil rights." She also called on the Biden administration to end the embargo, stating: "The embargo is absurdly cruel and, like too many other U.S. policies targeting Latin Americans, the cruelty is the point. I outright reject the Biden administration's defense of the embargo." Self-described socialist Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders had earlier expressed similar thoughts.
• Pope Francis called for peace and dialogue in Cuba, stating: "I am also close to the dear people of Cuba in these difficult times."

See also

• 2020 Cuban protests
• Black Spring (Cuba)
• Cuban–American lobby
• List of protests in the 21st century
• United States involvement in regime change in Latin America

References

1. ^ "High prices, food shortages fuel Cuba's biggest anti-government protests in decades". Havana. CBS News. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
2. ^ Acosta, Nelson; Marsh, Sarah (15 July 2021). "Cuba lifts food, medicine customs restrictions after protests". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
3. Forde, Kaelyn (16 July 2021). "Cuba protests: The economic woes driving discontent". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 July 2021. Cubans have taken to the streets in cities across the country over the last week, in a wave of rare public protests to express their frustration with rising prices, falling wages, the United States embargo and the failings of the island's long-standing communist government to address its economic challenges.
4. ^ Sesin, Carmen (13 July 2021). "Why has Cuba exploded in protests? It goes beyond the U.S. embargo and the pandemic". NBC News. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
5. Cite error: The named reference Independent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
6. "Protests in Cuba are a desperate cry to a government that doesn't listen". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
7. ^ Oppmann, Patrick (11 July 2021). "Cubans take to streets in rare protests over lack of freedom, economy". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
8. ^ Faiola, Anthony (12 July 2021). "Cubans hold biggest anti-government protests in decades; Biden says U.S. stands with people". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
9. ^ Harrup, Anthony; Pérez, Santiago. (14 July 2021). "What Is Happening in Cuba? Protests Grow Against the Communist Regime". Archived 13 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
10. ^ Madan, Monique O. (13 July 2021). "'Prayer is our only armor': Cuba protests calling on U.S. intervention continue in Miami". Miami Herald. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
11. "'We Need Intervention': South Florida Leaders Call on US to Support Cuban Protesters". WTVJ. NBC Miami. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
12. Stoodley, Chris (17 July 2021). "Cubans continue Halifax rallies for families, friends living in country". Halifax Today. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
13. ^ Rodriguez, Andrea (21 July 2021). "Cuba: US protest narrative paving way for military incursion". Yahoo. Associated Press. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
14. ^ Acosta, Nelson; Marsh, Sarah (12 July 2021). "Cuba arrests activists as government blames unrest on US interference". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
15. ^ Robles, Frances (11 July 2021). "Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
16. ^ "Cuba protests: Thousands rally against government as economy struggles". BBC News. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
17. "Cuba erupts in protests against authoritarian government". News.com.au. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
18. Carrasquillo, Adrian; Green, Paloma; Rouhandeh, Alex J. (14 July 2021). "Cubans Cry for Help on Social Media: 'Tomorrow We Will Go So They Will Beat Us to Death As Well'". Newsweek. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
19. "Cuban government blames Twitter for unrest". France 24. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
20. ^ Ford, Brody (16 July 2021). "Over 1 Million Cubans Evade Internet Curbs With U.S.-Backed Tech". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
21. "Cuba lifts food, medicine customs restrictions amid protests". Al Jazeera. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
22. "Pro-Democracy, Human Rights Group Echoes Calls For Freedom In Cuba". WFOR-TV. CBS Miami. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
23. "Pro-Democracy, Human Rights Group Echoes Calls For Freedom In Cuba". WFOR-TV. CBS Miami. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
24. "Dissident leader Ferrer arrested in Cuba: supporter". Havana. Agence France-Presse. 27 February 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021 – via France 24.
25. "Cuba arrests activists as government blames unrest on U.S. interference". Reuters. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
26. ^ De Córdoba, José; Pérez, Santiago (13 July 2021). "'Patria y Vida': The Dissident Rappers Helping Drive Cuba's Protests". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
27. ^ "Cientos de personas protestan en varias ciudades de Cuba contra el Gobierno" (in Spanish). RTVE. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
28. ^ "Thousands join rare anti-government protests in Cuba". Agence France-Presse. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021 – via France 24.
29. Vicent, Mauricio (12 July 2021). "Cuba sees one of the biggest protests against the government since the crisis of the 1990s". El País. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
30. ^ "Cuba: Man confirmed killed in anti-government unrest". BBC News. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
31. ^ "Más de 100 desaparecidos, varios muertos y bloqueo de comunicaciones en Cuba, según ONGs". ABC. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
32. Rodriguez, Andrea (13 July 2021). "Cuba protest: 1 dead after clash with police". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021 – via Global News.
33. ^ "Man dies in anti-government protest in Cuba: Interior ministry". Al Jazeera. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
34. "Cuba confirms death of man at anti-government protests". Deutsche Welle. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
35. "Cuba confirms one man dead during anti-government protests". Euronews. Associated Press. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
36. "Reports Of Continued Repression In Cuba Continue To Filter Out of the Island". WFOR-TV. CBS Miami. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
37. Fletcher, Pascal (14 July 2021). "Cuba protests: Frustration at government runs deep". BBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
38. Robles, Frances (11 July 2021). "Cubans Denounce 'Misery' in Biggest Protests in Decades". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
39. ^ "Díaz-Canel llama a los partidarios del Gobierno cubano: "La orden de combate está dada"". 20minutos. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
40. ^ Brasileiro, Adriana; Gámez Torres, Nora (11 July 2021). "'Freedom!' Thousands of Cubans take to the streets to demand the end of dictatorship". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
41. Naughtie, Andrew (13 July 2021). "Bernie Sanders says Cubans have 'right to live in democratic society'". The Independent. Retrieved 19 July 2021. The protests underway in Havana, Santiago and other Cuban cities have sprung up in response to a new spike in Covid-19 cases, the government's strict authoritarianism, and food and water shortages stemming from a deep economic crisis.
42. Jiménez Enoa, Abraham; Garcia-Navarro, Lulu (18 July 2021). "Unrest Continues In Cuba". NPR. Retrieved 19 July 2021. the embargo is, like, 30% of the problem, and the other 70% is the ineptitude and management of the Cuban government and its authoritarianism.
43. Kirby, Jen (1 July 2021). "Artists laid the foundation for Cuba's protests. An economy in free fall and the pandemic ignited it". Vox. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
44. ^ Frank, Mark (11 July 2021). "Thousands of protesters take to the streets in Cuba". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
45. ^ Taylor, Adam (12 July 2021). "How Cuba's compounding woes have fuelled discontent". Archived 12 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
46. Wyss, Jim (14 July 2021). "Cuba's Protests Fanned by Worst Economic Crisis Since Fall of USSR". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 20 July 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
47. Schmidt, Samantha (17 July 2021). "Cuba's president confronts a nation in crisis. Among his challenges: 'He's no Fidel.'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
48. Frank, Marc; Stott, Michael (16 July 2021). "'There is no food, money or work': how shortages fuelled Cuba protests". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
49. Brasileiro, Adriana; Gámez Torres, Nora (11 July 2021). "'Freedom!' Thousands of Cubans take to the streets to demand the end of dictatorship". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
50. Martin, Michel (18 July 2021). "There's More To The 'Unprecedented' Cuba Protests Than Just Food Shortages". NPR. Retrieved 20 July 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
51. ^ De Córdoba, José (12 July 2021). "Cuban Protests Demand Freedom, Food, Covid-19 Vaccines". Archived 13 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
52. "Alberto Fernández exigió su fin: qué es el embargo de Estados Unidos a Cuba y qué impacto tiene" [Alberto Fernandez demanded its end: what is the US embargo of Cuba and which is its impact]. La Nación (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
53. ^ "#SOSCuba: disidentes y estrellas internacionales reclaman al régimen cubano que permita el ingreso de ayuda humanitaria". Infobae. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
54. Faiola, Anthony (11 July 2021). "Cubans hold biggest anti-government protests in decades; Biden says U.S. stands with people". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 July 2021. " a major new challenge to an authoritarian government struggling to cope with increasingly severe blackouts, food shortages and a spiking coronavirus outbreak."
55. Rodriguez, Andrea (14 July 2021). "One dead in Cuba protests as government tries to keep lid on unrest". Associated Press. Retrieved 20 July 2021. "The demonstrations in several cities and towns were some of the biggest displays of anti-government sentiment in years in tightly controlled Cuba."
56. De Córdoba, José (12 July 2021). "Cuban Protests Demand Freedom, Food, Covid-19 Vaccines". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 July 2021. "The protests are unprecedented in a country with tight police control and surveillance on dissidents."
57. Frank, Marc; Stott, Michael (16 July 2021). "'There is no food, money or work': how shortages fuelled Cuba protests". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 July 2021. "Public dissent is forbidden yet these were the largest protests in decades. Cuba's government may not be able to guarantee food supplies but it has mastered the art of control. Special forces and police flooded the streets and within hours the protesters had dispersed, mostly without confrontation."
58. Faiola, Anthony (12 July 2021). "Cubans, broken by pandemic and fuelled by social media, confront their police state". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 July 2021. "nalysts say Cuba's powerful intelligence and security apparatus — which has not only successfully enforced a police state at home for six decades but helped support allied regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua and beyond — will probably prevent the protests from spiraling rapidly."
59. Janetsky, Megan (13 July 2021). "'Patria y Vida' — Homeland and Life — Watchwords in Cuba's Protests". Archived 14 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
60. Faiola, Anthony (12 July 2021). "Cubans, broken by pandemic and fuelled by social media, confront their police state". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 July 2021. " the island's social media explosion, which greatly expanded in 2019 with the arrival of 3G mobile phone service, an opening that Díaz-Canel was widely seen at the time as having championed. Its power was visible Sunday as citizens were mobilized by social media and trained their cameras on police as they bloodied protesters."
61. Arbel, Tali; Bajack, Frank; Ortutay, Barbara (12 July 2021). "Cuba's internet cutoff: A go-to tactic to suppress dissent". Associated Press. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
62. Faiola, Anthony (7 July 2019). "Cubans are using social media to air their grievances — and the government is responding, sometimes". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
63. "Artistas internacionales se unen a los cubanos en el reclamo de 'SOSCuba'". 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
64. ^ Arcinieges, Yurany (11 July 2021). "El Gobierno de Cuba reconoce la crisis sanitaria pero rechaza un corredor humanitario" (in Spanish). France 24. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
65. San Martin, Nancy; Whitefield, Mimi (13 July 2021). "'Your evil revolution': How a reggaeton anthem inspired Cuba protests". National Geographic. Retrieved 20 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
66. ^ Lozano, Daniel (11 July 2021). "Protestas callejeras en Cuba sorprenden al Gobierno, que llama a sus 'revolucionarios' para combatirlas". El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
67. Osorio, Eliezer Budasoff, Camila (11 July 2021). "Una protesta iniciada en dos municipios de Cuba amenaza con encender el hartazgo ciudadano en el país". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
68. ^ Press, Europa (11 July 2021). "El presidente cubano llama a salir a las calles para defender la revolución en respuesta a las protestas". Europa Press. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
69. ^ "El régimen cubano insta a sus partidarios a 'combatir' la ola de protestas en toda la isla". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
70. "El exilio pide intervención internacional para evitar 'baño de sangre' en Cuba". ElDiario.es (in Spanish). 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
71. "Cientos de personas salen a la calle en Cuba a protestar contra al Gobierno al grito de 'No tenemos miedo'". Nius Diario (in Spanish). 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
72. Henken, Ted (14 July 2021). "Cubans Are Proving That the Internet Can Still Be a Force for Democracy". Slate. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
73. Periódico, El (11 July 2021). "El Gobierno cubano califica de 'contrarevolucionarias las protestas' en la isla". El Periodico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
74. ^ Augustin, Ed; Montero, Daniel (12 July 2021). "Thousands march in Cuba in rare mass protests amid economic crisis". The Guardian. Havana. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
75. "Denuncian represión policial contra manifestantes en protestas en Cuba". www.publico.es. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
76. "Yoani Sánchez denuncia varios heridos y cientos de detenidos tras las protestas en Cuba". Europa Press. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
77. "El cólera estalló en Cuba: Cientos de detenidos tras jornada de protesta contra Díaz-Canel". NTN24 (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
78. "Disturbios en Cuba en contra del Gobierno de Miguel Diaz Canel". El Comercio Perú (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
79. LR, Redacción (13 July 2021). "Protesta en Cuba en vivo: miles de cubanos marcharon este lunes 12 de julio". larepublica.pe (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
80. "Aún sin Internet, en Cuba reportan múltiples detenciones tras histórica protesta". La Razón. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
81. "Una periodista española, detenida en Cuba tras informar sobre las protestas – LA NACION". La Nación (in Spanish). ISSN 0325-0946. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
82. Press, Europa (12 July 2021). "Detenida Camila Acosta, la corresponsal de ABC en Cuba". www.europapress.es. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
83. "La corresponsal de ABC en Cuba, Camila Acosta, será procesada por 'delitos contra la seguridad del Estado'". ABC (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
84. "Social media restricted in Cuba amid widening anti-government protests". NetBlocks. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
85. "Cuba protestas". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
86. "Calma tensa en una Cuba sin Internet tras las protestas masivas del domingo". Cadena SER (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
87. "Una tensa calma se apodera de las calles cubanas". Noticias de Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
88. "Blades dice que no sorprenden las protestas en Cuba tras décadas de dictadura". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
89. "Participa Raúl en reunión del Buró Político". Partido Comunista de Cuba (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
90. "Díaz-Canel acusó a Estados Unidos de promover estallidos en Cuba" [Díaz-Canel accused the United States of promoting unrests in Cuba] (in Spanish). El Litoral. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
91. "Alienta EU un estallido social en la isla, alerta Díaz-Canel" [The US encourages a social unrest on the island, alerts Díaz-Canel] (in Spanish). Omnia. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
92. "Cuba's internet cutoff: A go-to tactic to suppress dissent". AP News. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
93. "'We Need Intervention': South Florida Leaders Call on US to Support Cuban Protesters". WTVJ. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
94. Bull, Haley (13 July 2021). "'The longer we wait the more people will die': Florida protestors call for US intervention in Cuba". WFTS. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
95. Padgett, Tim (13 July 2021). "Call For U.S. Military Intervention Amid Cuba Protests Sparks Miami Exile Debate". WLRN-FM. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
96. Haitiwanger, John (14 July 2021). "Miami's mayor says the US should consider air strikes against Cuba". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
97. "Cubans in Trinidad and Tobago: Dictatorship, blockade causes of the protests". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
98. "Dina Stars es detenida por la policía cubana en directo mientras hablaba con Cuatro". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
99. "Detenida la 'youtuber' Dina Stars por la policía cubana en medio de una entrevista en vivo". El País (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
100. "Detienen en pleno directo a la 'youtuber' cubana Dina Stars en medio de su entrevista en 'Todo es mentira'". 20minutos (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
101. "Liberada la 'youtuber' Dina Stars tras ser detenida por "promover las manifestaciones" en Cuba". El País (in Spanish). 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
102. Cetoute, Devoun; Neal, David J. (13 July 2021). "Protests against the Cuban regime had part of the Palmetto blocked for about an hour". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
103. Ceballos, Ana; Rabin, Charles (13 July 2021). "Is Cuban-Americans' highway protest in Miami breaking Florida's new anti-riot law?". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
104. Cardona, Alexi C.; Halaly, Alan (13 July 2021). "Lane Change: Ron DeSantis' 'Anti-Riot' Law Appears Not to Apply to Protest That Blocked the Palmetto". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
105. Rohrer, Gray (13 July 2021). "DeSantis hosts meeting in Miami as dissidents call for regime change in Cuba; defends 'riot' law against charge of hypocrisy". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
106. "Represión en Cuba: fuerzas del régimen entraron a la casa de un manifestante y le dispararon frente a sus hijos" [Repression in Cuba: forces of the regime broke into the house of a demonstrator and shot him in front of his kids]. La Nación (in Spanish). 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
107. "Cuba lifts food, medicine customs restrictions amid protests". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
108. "Cuba's Internet comes back on — and reveals scenes of a crackdown". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
109. "Dimite el viceministro del Interior de Cuba, en desacuerdo por el uso de fuerza excesiva contra los manifestantes" (in Spanish). ABC. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
110. Gámez Torres, Nora (14 July 2021). "Cuba denies resignation of a top security general over violent response to protests". Miami Herald. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
111. "Cuba protests: Tax on food and medicine imports lifted". Archived 15 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. BBC News. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
112. ^ Rodríguez, Andrea (17 July 2021). "Cuba government rallies backers following big protests". Associated Press. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
113. "El internet móvil regresa poco a poco a Cuba, pero las redes siguen bloqueadas". Expansión (in Spanish). 14 July 2021.
114. Méndez Urich, Luis (14 July 2021). "Cuba: restablecen servicio de internet pero sin acceso a redes sociales". France 24 (in Spanish).
115. "Cuba's President Has Made A Rare Mea Culpa, Admitting To Failures That Fueled Unrest". NPR. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
116. ^ Abiven, Katell (16 July 2021). "Cuban government blames Twitter for unrest". Yahoo News. Agence France-Press. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
117. Acosta, Nelson (17 July 2021). "Cuban government holds mass rally in Havana after protests". Reuters. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
118. Nicoll, Rudaridh (17 July 2021). "Cuba's president slams social media 'hatred' after protests". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
119. "Fake news muddies online waters during Cuba protests". Reuters. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
120. "Fake news proliferating online during Cuba protests". Al Jazeera. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
121. "Western media use images of pro-govt rally, protest in Miami to illustrate Cuban unrest". The Tribune. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
122. "Cubanos en Chile llegan hasta el consulado de su país para apoyar manifestaciones en la isla". BioBioChile – La Red de Prensa Más Grande de Chile (in Spanish). 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
123. "Hundreds of Protesters Take to Miami Streets as Mayor Asks for US-Led Intervention in Cuba". NBC 6 South Florida. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
124. Escalonilla, Álvaro (17 July 2021). "The Cuban diaspora raises its voice from Madrid". Atalayar. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
125. "Protestas en Cuba: manifestantes se concentraron frente a la embajada en Argentina al grito de 'Patria y vida'" [Protests in Cuba: Protesters Gathered in Front of the Embassy in Argentina Shouting 'Patria y Vida']. Clarín (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
126. "Manifestantes fazem protesto em apoio ao governo cubano em frente ao consulado em SP" [Protesters in Support of the Cuban Government in Front of the Consulate in SP]. G1 (in Portuguese). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
127. "North Bergen residents march in solidarity with protesters in Cuba". News 12 New Jersey. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
128. Manna, Orko; Williams, Carolyn (13 July 2021). "Hundreds protest on Las Vegas Strip in solidarity with Cuba". KLAS-TV. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
129. "2 Cuba protesters in Tampa among 1st to be charged related to Florida's anti-riot law". WFLA-TV. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
130. Cascio, Josh (14 July 2021). "For third day, Tampa demonstrators show support for Cuban protests". Fox News. Fox 13 Tampa Bay. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
131. Nuñez, Gabriella (14 July 2021). "Man arrested during protests for Cuba in Orlando". ClickOrlando. WKMG-TV. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
132. "'Please don't take to the sea': US Coast Guard to Cuban Americans". Al Jazeera.com. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
133. Millner, Elizabeth (15 July 2021). "Cuban-Americans rally for freedom at Florida Capitol". WCTV. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
134. Silverman, Ellie (15 July 2021). "'Cuba libre' painted on street outside Embassy of Cuba in Washington". WJLA-TV. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
135. Ramos, Roy; Perez, Andrew (16 July 2021). "Little Havana's Friday gallery night welcomes SOS Cuba protesters". WPLG Local 10. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
136. Lowenstein, Jack (16 July 2021). "Many in SWFL protesting for freedom in Cuba will not stop public demonstrations". WINK-TV. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
137. Stoodley, Chris (17 July 2021). "Cubans continue Halifax rallies for families, friends living in country". Halifax News. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
138. Kelly, Trent (18 July 2021). "Massive crowd protests outside Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami, calling for Cuban freedom". Local 10 WPLG. Retrieved 18 July 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
139. Sanders, Ronald (19 July 2021). "Cuba could help US normalise relations". The Voice Digital. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
140. "Alberto Fernández, sobre Cuba: "Yo no sé lo que está pasando, pero terminemos con los bloqueos"" [Alberto Fernández, about Cuba: "I don't know what is happening, but let's end the blockades"]. La Nación (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
141. "Barbados calls on United States to lift embargo on Cuba". Jamaica Gleaner. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
142. "Bolivia respalda a Cuba por "luchar contra acciones desestabilizadoras"". ElDiario.es (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
143. "Evo Morales acusa a EE. UU. de "reeditar" el Plan Cóndor" [Evo Morales accuses the US of "reissuing" the Plan Condor] (in Spanish). La República (Perú). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
144. "Jair Bolsonaro habló sobre la represión en Cuba: "Fueron a pedir libertad y recibieron balas de goma, golpes y prisión"" [Jair Bolsonaro talked about the repression in Cuba: "They requested liberty and received shots, attacks, and prison"]. Infobae (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
145. "Canada calls for 'inclusive dialogue' after Biden expresses support for Cuban protesters" Archived 14 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
146. "Chile condenó la represión a las protestas en Cuba y pidió a la dictadura no acallar a los manifestantes que piden libertad" [Chile condemned the repression of protests in Cuba and asked the dictatorship not to silence the protesters who demand freedom]. Infobae (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
147. "China calls on US to end economic blockade of Cuba after protests". South China Morning Post. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
148. "Guillermo Lasso: 'Hago un llamado al Gobierno cubano para que se inicie un proceso democrático que ponga fin a esta situación'" (in Spanish). EFE. 17 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021 – via El Universo.
149. "AMLO ofrece ayuda humanitaria a Cuba y pide quitarle el bloqueo". Expansión Política (in Spanish). 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
150. "Mexico president calls for end to Cuba trade embargo after protests". Reuters. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
151. "Daniel Ortega envía muestras de apoyo a Díaz-Canel ante protestas en Cuba". López-Dóriga Digital (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
152. "Daniel Ortega envía carta a presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel y lo respalda pese a protestas". Peru21 (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
153. O'Connor, Tom (16 July 2021). "North Korea says Cuba can 'smash' U.S. interference, joining Russia, China, Iran". Newsweek. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
154. "Latin America split along ideological lines in Cuba protests". Reuters. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
155. "Russia Warns Against 'Outside Interference' After Cuba Protests". The Moscow Times. Agence France-Presse. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
156. "St. Vincent and the Grenadines rejects interference against Cuba". Prensa Latina. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
157. Rodríguez, Antonio (12 July 2021). "España reconoce el derecho de los cubanos a manifestarse de forma libre y pacífica". Voz Populi (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
158. Sáenz de Ugarte, Iñigo (13 July 2021). "Cuando los políticos españoles hablan de Cuba en realidad están hablando de España". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
159. "Biden backs protests in Cuba, calls on officials to "hear their people"". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
160. "Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Protests in Cuba". The White House. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
161. Rodriguez, Sabrina; Toosi, Nahal (12 July 2021). "'The White House is finally paying attention': Cuba's protests force Biden's hand". Politico. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
162. "Cuba.- El presidente de Uruguay destaca el "coraje digno de elogiar" de los manifestantes cubanos". Europa Press. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
163. "'Todo el apoyo al pueblo de Cuba', dice Maduro tras las protestas en la isla". Infobae (in Spanish). 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
164. Kerry, Frances (16 July 2021). "Vietnam calls on Washington to lift Cuba embargo – foreign ministry". Reuters. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
165. "EU urges Cuba to let people protest". EUobserver. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
166. "Luis Almagro: 'Condenamos al régimen dictatorial cubano por llamar a civiles a reprimir'". Infobae (in Spanish). 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
167. "La ONU condena el excesivo uso de la fuerza en Cuba". Deutsche Welle. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
168. "Cuba: Massive protests are a desperate cry to a government that doesn't listen". Archived 13 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Amnesty International. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
169. Gilchriest, Zach (13 July 2021). "Senator Marsha Blackburn voices support for Cuban protests". WSMV-TV. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
170. "Sen. Murphy: U.S. embargo in Cuba empowers the regime there". Yahoo News. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
171. Centenera, Mar; Torrado, Santiago (12 July 2021). "La crisis en Cuba divide a América Latina". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
172. "El mensaje de Mauricio Macri por las protestas en Cuba" [The message of Mauricio Macri over the protests in Cuba]. La Nación (in Spanish). 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
173. "Para Lula, 'si Cuba no tuviera un bloqueo, podría ser Holanda'" [For Lula, 'if Cuba did not have a blockade, it could be the Netherlands']. La Nación (in Spanish). 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
174. "SRS optužuje Vašington za pokušaj puča na Kubi" (in Serbian). Beta News Agency. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
175. Haltiwanger, John (16 July 2021). "AOC calls out Biden for defending 'absurdly cruel' embargo on Cuba while expressing support for Cuban protestors". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 July 2021 – via MSN.
176. Naughtie, Andrew (13 July 2021). "Bernie Sanders says Cubans have 'right to live in democratic society'". The Independent. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
177. "Pope Francis calls for peace, dialogue in Cuba". Reuters. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.

• 2021 in Cuba
• 2021 protests
• July 2021 events in North America
• Ongoing protests
• Protests in Argentina
• Protests in Brazil
• Protests in Chile
• Protests in Cuba
• Protests in Spain
• Protests in the United States
• Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic