2024 Cuban protests

Last updated

2024 Cuban protests
Date17 March 2024 (2024-03-17) – 18 March 2024 (2024-03-18)
Location
Cuba
Caused by
  • Food shortage
  • Power outages
  • Inflation
Goals
  • Access to food and electric power
StatusFailed
Parties
Flag of Cuba.svgFlag of Cuba (sky blue).svg Protesters
Lead figures

No centralized leadership

Casualties
Arrested3 [1]

On 17 March 2024, protests began in Cuba, [2] primarily in Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest city, in protest of food shortages and power outages. [3] [4]

The country experienced what was described as the worst living crisis since the early 1990s. [5] The government blames the U.S. embargo, which it refers to as a "blockade", imposed since the arrival of the Communist Party to power. [6] Cuba accused the U.S. of stirring up unrest, an accusation the United States has denied. [6] [7]

Background

On 12 January 2021, then-U.S. President Donald Trump added Cuba to the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, implementing a new series of economic sanctions on the country. [7] The government of Cuba had hoped that Joe Biden would remove Cuba from the list. However, Biden has entirely avoided the issue and, according to Cuban governmental sources, has not responded to several calls to have a diplomatic meeting to remove Cuba from the list. [7]

In a press release shortly after the start of the protests, the Cuban government called the inclusion of Cuba on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list to be the most egregious element of U.S. sanctions. [7] U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX20) called Biden's failure to remove Cuba from the list "a serious missed opportunity that has worsened the lives of everyday Cubans." [7] By being labeled a State Sponsor of Terrorism, new economic sanctions were implemented that discouraged third-party foreign investment, as those companies would be barred from doing business in the United States under the Helms–Burton Act. [7] Additionally, the inclusion on the list has all but eliminated tourism to Cuba, namely from the European Union. [7]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of fuel has risen 500%, which is especially troublesome for Cuba as most of their electricity is generated by oil-burning power plants. Prior to this, Cuba had relied on one of its few allies, Venezuela, to sell oil at a discount, but due to the economic crisis in Venezuela, this special relationship had to be ended. Due to the fuel shortages, there are widespread rolling blackouts in major Cuban cities. Cuba also relies on food imports, receiving United States dollar7 billion per year, but due to the weak purchasing power of the Cuban peso, purchases almost all imports with foreign currency reserves. These reserves are also used to purchase fuel, which coupled with inflation that left a 18.5% GDP hole, leaves little remaining for food imports. Along with a poor harvest, Cuba has experienced food shortages. [8] [9] [10]

Just weeks before the protests on 7 March, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel sacked his economy minister, Alejandro Gil Fernández, for alleged corruption and mismanagement. [11] That same day, Diario de Cuba , a publication funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, [12] [13] reported that there is an extensive black market for cat meat as basic goods became increasingly scarce. [14] [15]

Response

The government quickly provided rice and milk, but dissatisfaction continued. [16] Cuba reached out to the World Food Programme for powdered milk and other items to help relieve the shortages. [17]

Díaz-Canel wrote on X, "Mediocre politicians and online terrorists lined up from South Florida to heat up the streets of #Cuba with interventionist messages and calls for chaos. They were left wanting." [7] Additionally, in a press release the Cuban government claimed that the whole of South Florida's "only livelihood is the industry of aggression against Cuba." [7]

According to Cuban-born U.S. Representative Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL28), in an effort to stifle the protests, the Cuban government cut all access to the internet and mobiluzed secret police to prevent protesters from organizing as it did with the 2021 Cuban protests. Giménez also called on the Biden administration to provide satellite internet to protesters. In response, a State Department spokesperson said, "U.S. regulations allow for certain internet-based services to support the Cuban people." [7]

María Payá Acevedo, the daughter of assassinated dissident Oswaldo Payá and one of the leading Cuban opposition figures living in exile in Miami, announced that her Cuba Decides initiative is calling on international leaders to stand with and support the protesters to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy. Cuba Decides has outlined a four step plan to implement democracy, the first is to recognize and guarantee the protection of human rights for all Cubans, the second is a "a binding plebiscite implementing electoral and transparency guarantees" to end the one party state, the third is to "initiate a transition process that establishes democratic institutions" and lastly "free and multiparty elections" to establish a new government. [18]

Reactions

On 18 March, Havana summoned the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat, business manager Benjamin Ziff. [19] Carlos Fernández de Cossío, the Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister, delivered a note of protest to Ziff denouncing the United States for "interventionist conduct" and "slanderous messages" claiming that the reports on the protest did not reflect "internal affairs of the Cuban reality." United States Department of State spokesman Vedant Patel responded saying "the United States is not behind these protests in Cuba, and the accusation of that is absurd." [7]

U.S. Representative and daughter of Cuban exiles María Elvira Salazar (R-FL27) stated in an interview with The Hill, "I hope this crisis and the protests in Santiago de Cuba expose the failures of communism and lead to an end of the dictatorship." [7] U.S. Senator Rick Scott issued a statement urging his country to stand with the "brave Cuban people". [20]

The U.S. embassy stated, "We urge the Cuban government to respect the human rights of the protesters and attend to the legitimate needs of the Cuban people." [21] Carlos Fernández de Cossío called the statement by the embassy "disrespectful“ and an "open interference in Cuba's domestic affairs." [21] Johana Tablada, the top Cuban diplomat in the United States, stated that the American government's goal is "regime change" against the current ruling Communist Party. [7]

On 18 March, Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Chernyshenko, touted Russia and Cuba's deepening economic ties, celebrating that over 100 Russian companies have started doing business in Cuba and were involved in the heavy industry, energy, banking, agriculture, IT, and tourism sectors. Chernyshenko stated, "Cuba is a reliable Russian ally." Additionally, in 2023, Cuba implemented the Russian Mir payment system. [22]

On 22 March, former U.S. president and 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump posted a video to Truth Social stating, "I want to express my admiration and support for all of the brave people of Cuba, who are standing up against the vile communist regime, it’s not easy and we appreciate it and it’s gonna be changed." This has been interpreted as a hint that a regime change in Cuba would be one of his foreign policy positions should he be re-elected. [17]

Protests abroad

Cuban-Americans living in Miami organized their own protests to show solidarity throughout March. On 17 March, dozens gathered outside the Versailles waving Cuban and American flags. [23] On 19 March, protesters formed a human chain [24] while on 24 March, they organized a brief march across a park in Little Havana. [25]

Related Research Articles

The island of Cuba was inhabited by various Native American cultures prior to the arrival of the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492. After his arrival, Spain conquered Cuba and appointed Spanish governors to rule in Havana. The administrators in Cuba were subject to the Viceroy of New Spain and the local authorities in Hispaniola. In 1762–63, Havana was briefly occupied by Britain, before being returned to Spain in exchange for Florida. A series of rebellions between 1868 and 1898, led by General Máximo Gómez, failed to end Spanish rule and claimed the lives of 49,000 Cuban guerrillas and 126,000 Spanish soldiers. However, the Spanish–American War resulted in a Spanish withdrawal from the island in 1898, and following three and a half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba gained formal independence in 1902.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raúl Castro</span> Leader of Cuba from 2011 to 2021

Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban retired politician and general who served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the one-party communist state, from 2011 to 2021, and President of Cuba between 2008 and 2018, succeeding his brother Fidel Castro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Endowment for Democracy</span> US quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization in the United States founded in 1983 with the stated aim of advancing democracy worldwide, by promoting political and economic institutions, such as political groups, trade unions, free markets, and business groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States embargo against Cuba</span> Ongoing restriction on trade with Cuba by the United States

The United States embargo against Cuba has prevented U.S. businesses from conducting trade or commerce with Cuban interests since 1958. Modern diplomatic relations are cold, stemming from historic conflict and divergent political ideologies. U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba are comprehensive and impact all sectors of the Cuban economy. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban dissident movement</span> Political movement in Cuba

The Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is to replace the current government with a liberal democracy. According to Human Rights Watch, the Marxist-Leninist Cuban government represses nearly all forms of political dissent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Cuba</span>

Elections in Cuba are held at municipal, provincial, and national levels. Cuba is a one-party state, with the Communist Party of Cuba being described as the "superior driving force of the society and the state" in the Constitution of Cuba, and the communist party is the only official political party. Elections in Cuba are not considered democratic because the government does not allow free and fair voting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba</span> Island country in the Caribbean

Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, and 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean meet. Cuba is located east of the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), south of both Florida and the Bahamas, west of Hispaniola, and north of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Havana is the largest city and capital. Cuba is the third-most populous country in the Caribbean after Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with about 10 million inhabitants. It is the largest country in the Caribbean by area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Modern diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States are cold, stemming from historic conflict and divergent political ideologies. The two nations restored diplomatic relations on July 20, 2015, after relations had been severed in 1961 during the Cold War. The U.S. has maintained a comprehensive trade embargo against Cuba since 1958. The embargo includes restrictions on all commercial, economic, and financial activity, making it illegal for U.S. corporations to do business with Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center for a Free Cuba</span>

The Center for a Free Cuba is a Washington, DC-based organization. It states that it is "an independent, non-partisan institution dedicated to promoting human rights and a transition to democracy and the rule of law on the island. Established in November 1997, the center gathers and disseminates information about Cuba and Cubans to the media, non-governmental organizations, and the international community. The center also assists the people of Cuba through its information outreach and humanitarian programs on the island."

<i>Maleconazo</i> 1994 Cuban protest

The Maleconazo was a protest on 5 August 1994, in which thousands of Cubans took to the streets around the Malecón in Havana to demand freedom and express frustration with the government. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Cuba fell into a crippling economic crisis that had many citizens looking to flee the island. On the day of the protest, the Cuban police blocked people from boarding tugboats leaving Havana, prompting thousands of citizens to storm the streets in the largest anti-government demonstration Cuba had seen since the Cuban Revolution. In the following weeks, President Fidel Castro quelled the frustration by opening the doors of the country and allowing Cubans to leave, which had a significant impact on Cuba's relationship with the United States moving forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel Díaz-Canel</span> Leader of Cuba since 2021

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez is a Cuban politician and engineer. He has served as the 8th First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba since 2021 and as the 17th President of Cuba since 2019. In his capacity as First Secretary he is the most powerful person in the Cuban government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crisis in Venezuela</span> Socioeconomic and political crisis in Venezuela in the 21st century

An ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis began in Venezuela during the presidency of Hugo Chávez and has worsened during the presidency of successor Nicolás Maduro. It has been marked by hyperinflation, escalating starvation, disease, crime and mortality rates, resulting in massive emigration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troika of tyranny</span> US foreign policy terminology from 2010s

Troika of tyranny is a description of the nations of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela used by United States National Security Advisor John R. Bolton in outlining United States foreign policy towards those nations. Bolton has alternately described the three countries as the "triangle of terror" and the "three stooges of socialism", stating that the three are "the cause of immense human suffering, the impetus of enormous regional instability, and the genesis of a sordid cradle of communism in the western hemisphere".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Venezuelan blackouts</span> Nationwide power outages

Nationwide recurring electrical blackouts in Venezuela began in March 2019. Experts and state-run Corpoelec sources attribute the electricity shortages to lack of maintenance and to a lack of technical expertise in the country resulting from a brain drain. Nicolás Maduro's administration attributes them to sabotage. Since March, various nationwide blackouts occurred in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis</span> Sanctions during the crisis in Venezuela

During the crisis in Venezuela, the United States applied sanctions against specific Venezuelan government entities and individuals associated with the administration of Nicolás Maduro, along with sanctions applied by the European Union (E.U.), Canada, Mexico, Panama and Switzerland. By September 2019, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said 119 Venezuelans had been sanctioned by the U.S. and several other countries.

The foreign policy of the Joe Biden administration emphasizes the repair of the United States' alliances, which Biden argues were damaged during the Trump administration. The administration's goal is to restore the United States to a "position of trusted leadership" among global democracies in order to address challenges posed by Russia and China. Both Biden and his Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have repeatedly emphasized that no other world power should be able to surpass the United States, either militarily or economically. Biden's foreign policy has been described as having ideological underpinnings in mid-twentieth century liberal internationalism, American exceptionalism, and pragmatism.

The San Isidro Movement is a group of Cuban artists, journalists and academics formed in 2018 to protest against the government's increased censorship of artistic expression in Cuba. The group's members have staged protests, performances and interventions that have resulted in arrests and retaliatory actions by the Cuban government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Cuban protests</span> July 2021 protests against the Cuban government

A series of protests against the Cuban government and the 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 were the largest anti-government demonstrations since the Maleconazo in 1994. Protesters' motivations included resentment at the Cuban government's authoritarianism and curbs on civil liberties, the government's COVID-19 pandemic lockdown rules, and failure to fulfill their promised economic and political reforms. The poor state of the Cuban economy also called for major protests all over the country. Cuban dissidents have placed the responsibility for these problems on the government's economic policies and abuse of human rights.

This article covers events in the year 2024 in Cuba.

The political history of North America in the 2020s covers political events on the continent, other than elections, from 2020 onwards.

References

  1. ↑ "Cuba protests US comments following protests against power blackouts, food shortages". AP News. 19 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Sherwood, Dave (18 March 2024). "Protest erupts in eastern Cuba amid blackouts, food shortages". Reuters. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Cubans stage rare protests demanding electricity, food". Le Monde. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Protesters in Cuba decry power outages, food shortages". CBS News. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Rare protests erupt in Cuba over food and electricity shortages". France 24. 18 March 2024.
  6. 1 2 Nicoll, Ruaridh (18 March 2024). "Cuba blames US for stoking protests amid power cuts and food shortages". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Bernal, Rafael. "Cuba, desperate for US thaw, files formal note of protest". The Hill . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Bain, Lauren. "Cuba's crumbling economy: Island plunges further into crisis". France 24 . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "Rare protests in Cuba over 'power and food'". Al Jazeera English . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  10. ↑ Spinetto, Juan Pablo. "Communist Cuba Is on the Brink of Collapse". Bloomberg . Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "Official note from the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic". Granma . Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "NED Grant Search". www.ned.org. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "NED Grant Search". www.ned.org. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  14. ↑ O’Grady, Mary Anastasia. "Cuba Is Starving Its People". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  15. ↑ "Venta de carne de gato, una 'solución' para el hambre en los barrios de Cuba". diariodecuba.com. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  16. ↑ Colomé, Carla Gloria (19 March 2024). "Cuban government delivers rice and milk to quell protests, but discontent continues". EL PAÍS English.
  17. 1 2 Timotija, Filip (22 March 2024). "Trump signals Cuban regime could 'be changed' if he's reelected". The Hill . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Berdejo, Eduardo. "'Cuba Decides' initiative says Cubans are ready to transition to democracy". Catholic News Agency . ACI Prensa  [ es ]. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Sherwood, Dave (18 March 2024). "Cuba summons top US diplomat, accuses US of stoking protests". Reuters. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "Sen. Rick Scott Demands Vote on DEMOCRACIA Act as Cuban People Peacefully Protest Communist Castro Regime". U.S. Senator Rick Scott. 18 March 2024.
  21. 1 2 "Cuba protests US comments following protests against power blackouts, food shortages". Associated Press . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  22. ↑ Tan, Huileng. "Russia is betting big on Cuba as it courts alternative economic partners". Business Insider . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  23. ↑ "Dozens in Miami show support after hundreds in Cuba protest blackouts, food shortages". WTVJ-TV. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  24. ↑ Rodriguez, Laura (19 March 2024). "Miami demonstrators form human chain in solidarity with Cuba protests". WTVJ-TV. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  25. ↑ "US: March scheduled in Miami, Florida, March 24 in support of recent demonstrations in Cuba". Crisis24. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.


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