Crisis in Cuba: OCDH warns regime that if there is no change, protests will end in tragedy

Tens of thousands of Cubans took to the streets this Sunday and Monday to demand a better lifestyle from Miguel Díaz-Canel’s regime amid the island’s ongoing energy crisis and shortages. In this regard, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) warned If the authorities do not implement political, economic and social changes, Appearances They will end in tragedy.

Likewise, the organization demanded that the Castro dictator respect the right to demonstrate and release those detained on Sunday.

“The massive protests that took place this March 17 in many Cuban cities will end in tragedy if political, economic and social changes are not immediately initiated, leading to solutions to the growing problems faced by the majority of Cubans. , especially the most vulnerable sections”OCDH said in a statement.

Alejandro Gonzalez RagaThe observatory’s executive director maintained that “The Cuban people have lived for decades deceived by the promise of a better future.” It has not and will not come because of the system’s inability to generate it.”

“To this is added widespread corruption and indifference to the suffering of others.”, which leads to the chaotic situation in which we live. “Half a century of failures should be enough,” he added.

OCDH affirmed that the conditions being experienced on the island are “intolerable.” “It is impossible to live without water, without electricity, without food and at the same time be silent in fear.”

Gonzalez Raga said, for his part, that the observatory takes responsibility For the Diaz-Canel regime “For conditions which may arise from their oppressive actions against the population.”

“Similarly, it holds accountable those who support the Havana regime in international organizations and democratic governments, as they contribute to the maintenance of the status quo that has lasted for more than half a century and continue to strangle and extort money from the suffering Cuban people.” he added.

Demonstrations began on Sunday afternoon in Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second largest city. But later they spread to other areas such as Palma Soriano (province of Santiago de Cuba) and Bayamo (Granma, also in the east). In recent days, other protests have emerged, albeit on a smaller scale, in some places in the east of the country.

There were some outbreaks of repression by the security forces during the night and Arrest of protestors. However, the number of detainees is still unknown.

Cuban dissidents also denounced the regime for cutting communications and internet signals to prevent the world from observing what was happening.

Sunk in Cuba A severe economic crisis with basic products (food, fuel and medicine), high inflation rates, prolonged daily blackouts and increasing dollarizationWhich has caused unprecedented migration and strong social unrest.

The blackout has worsened over the past two months due to a lack of fuel, with the breakdown of obsolete Soviet-built plants and deficit rates of up to 45% at times of peak demand. In many provinces of the country, there is a total outage of more than 10 hours.

The pandemic, the tightening of US sanctions, and endogenous errors in economic and financial policy have exacerbated the Cuban system’s structural problems over the past three years.

The dictatorship blamed Cuban dissidents in the United States and abroad for the protests.