The United States, Russia and the Cuban government have exchanged sharp remarks about the outbreak of the Freedom Island revolution.
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US President Joe Biden has called on the Cuban regime to hear its people and their strong cry for freedom. This was stated in a statement issued by the White House a day after the historic demonstrations in Cuba, AFP reported.
The United States is calling on the Cuban regime to listen to the people and meet their needs at this crucial time, instead of getting rich, Biden said.
We stand next to the Cuban people and his strong cry for freedom, as well as his deliverance from the dramatic grip of the pandemic and decades of repression and economic suffering imposed by the authoritarian regime in Cuba, the president said.
Cubans are boldly defending their basic human rights. These rights must be respected, including the right to peaceful demonstration and the right to decide freely for one’s future, the US head of state said in a statement.
Ruined by the economic crisis, which has exacerbated food and drug shortages and forced the government to cut off electricity for several hours a day, Thousands of Cubans took to the streets of dozens of towns and villages yesterday in the country and chanted: “We are hungry!”, “Freedom” and “Down with the dictatorship!”. This is an unprecedented mobilization in Cuba, where the only permitted gatherings are usually those of the Communist Party.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel today accused the US government of pursuing a policy of economic suffocation in his country to provoke social unrest on the island.
In a radio and television broadcast, the communist leader, surrounded by his ministers, assured that his government was trying to deal with and overcome the difficulties faced by US sanctions intensified during the term of US President Donald Trump. .
What is the US aiming for? To provoke social unrest, to cause misunderstanding among Cubans, as well as the notorious regime change, the Cuban president announced.
Those behind these demonstrations have received the response they deserve and will continue to receive it, Diaz-Canel warned.
The mobile internet, which entered Cuba at the end of 2018, allowed the live broadcast of about 40 anti-government demonstrations across the island yesterday, but was interrupted this morning. Today, police and soldiers are heavily on the streets of Havana, but overall calm has been restored after clashes the day before, which led to dozens of arrests.
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Photo: AP / BTA
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Russia has issued a warning today against “any foreign interference” in the crisis shaking Moscow’s ally Cuba.
We consider unacceptable any foreign interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state and any other destructive actions that would contribute to destabilizing the situation on the island, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
We are convinced that the Cuban authorities will take all necessary measures to restore public order in the interest of the country’s citizens, Moscow added, adding that it is closely monitoring developments in and around Cuba.
Surprised by the spontaneous demonstrations that erupted in various cities in the country and led to clashes, especially in the capital, Havana, Cuban authorities said they were ready to defend the revolution “at any cost”.
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Photo: BTA / AP
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The United States backed the protesters and warned against using any force against “peaceful demonstrators.”
After a brief reconciliation in 2014-2016, diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States are at their lowest point since the term of Donald Trump, who tightened the embargo, which has been in force since 1962 and condemned human rights violations in the country. and Havana’s support for the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
Since the Soviet era, Russia has been after the main supporters of the communist authorities in Cuba, AFP notes.
The EU is calling on the Cuban authorities to resolve the protests and to listen to the discontent of the people. This was stated by EU number one diplomat Josep Borrell, world agencies reported.
“We support the right of peoples to express themselves peacefully and call on the authorities to resolve these protests and to listen to the protests of the protesters,” Borel said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, meanwhile, said US-funded mercenaries had sparked the uprising ahead of weekend protests through a strategy presented as a social media campaign for humanitarian aid to Cuba. “Yesterday there was no social unrest in Cuba, yesterday there was riots in Cuba, unrest caused by a communication operation being prepared for some time and for which millions of dollars were used,” Bruno Rodriguez said.
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