this Hurricane ‘Ian’ left Cuba a trace of destruction and also a stated proof unreleased footage barricades and burning tires on the streets. After completely dark, the island regained its electricity supply, especially in almost all of Havana. However, the feeling remained in the air Nothing will be the same forward. Protests against power cuts and famine added further depth to the issue. political unrest this had already been quietly manifested, but with the force of a scream during the public consultation that approved the new Family Law. The stunning vote against a project with a high rate of abstentions and a strong phasing out marks a turning point in the days of consensus.
“I repeat, we will not surrender the revolution and this is exactly why we will not abandon anyone, this is the slogan that makes us revolutionary. We must understand social processes and engage in them comprehensively,” First Lady Lis Cuesta said on Monday when the government assessed the situation after a weekend that brought to mind the social epidemic of 11J 2021.
paradigm shift
The three-day protests that began on September 29 were unthinkable in the analog age. There are more than seven million cell phones in use in Cuba right now, from which everything is fed back: fake news and well-founded criticism, anger, and frustration. The mega power outage has turned many citizens into angry documentarians. The phones filmed scenes of state violence that had previously been nothing more than a rumor or a whisper. “Document the protests and repression It is a valuable and increasingly common practice for Cubans, often accompanying them. However, on more than one occasion, videos and photos have also been used to identify protesters and bring charges against them,” warns the ‘El toca’ portal.
Technology is never neutral, at least in the midst of the crisis in the largest of the Antilles. “We couldn’t find the identity of the black woman who was brutally beaten by men in plain clothes, but who had received professional training in fighting techniques,” the feminist collective ‘Yes, I believe you in Cuba’ said on social networks. “Justice 11J group noted that at least 20 arrests took place, crowning the most controversial September in decades. The Cuban Conflict Observatory (OCC) reported that during that month 364 protests including cacerolazos, barricades and marches In Havana and in different cities of the interior.
position of government
“Such manifestations they have no legitimacy“We accept and take care of concern and an honest, decent approach in the midst of a difficult situation,” said President Miguel Díaz Canel, but stressing that “all those who act this way, make all the demands”. The rights granted by the Revolution, but because they contributed so little, this stance, you need to argue it and confront the arguments.” Díaz-Canel reminded the public that Cuba paid the price for building “a socialist society with hard work” and Together congestion that doesn’t allow us to progress“.
For the ‘La Joven Cuba’ portal, the tremendous upheaval caused by the hurricane has increased”growing popular rejection “To the government” and to Havana “it was filled with faces tired of so much grief, misery, misery.” And he added: “The 51st enemy, as criminals, marginally does nothing but mock the government’s position vis-à-vis the claims of the citizens as it exposes the intolerance of the ruling elite. Like that of Silvio Rodriguez, he aligned Castroism: “No government can be revolutionary in defence, and we We’ve been on the defensive for so many years.”
secret conflict
The crisis can take another blow, not just because of the crisis. lack Energy and food shortages. Inflation is about to break the 200% barrier. When monetary union was launched in early 2021, one dollar was equivalent to 24 pesos. “The measurable outcome of regulation shows that it works as an economic adjustment package that concentrates the cost of regulation on workers,” said economist Pedro Monreal.
Beyond Washington sanctions, Cuba pays the price for its strategic decisions. “At the end of September 2021, only 0.5% of public funds were allocated to the education sector, 1.0% to health and welfare. These figures contrast sharply with 42.3% allocated to real estate and construction. Except for a privileged minority, the vulnerability of a significant portion of the Cuban population with high levels of poverty,” says ‘La Joven Cuba’.