Tens of thousands of people have expressed their support for President Diaz-Canel in the Cuban capital Havana. The president of the communist one-party state addressed his supporters in the presence of his predecessor, 90-year-old Raúl Castro.
Last week, thousands of people took to the streets in Havana and elsewhere in Cuba. They protested against, among other things, the poor state of the economy, the shortage of basic necessities and medicines and the lack of freedom.
Diaz-Canel again lashed out at the United States and the sanctions Washington has imposed on Cuba. He spoke of an aggressive blockade and terror. “The enemy has returned to destroy our sacred unity and disturb the peace of the citizens,” the president said.
He divided the protesters into four groups: radical supporters of the US, criminal looters, desperate citizens suffering from the economic crisis and young people who feel disenfranchised.
‘Fatherland or death!’
According to the AP news agency, the president did not close his speech with the traditional “The fatherland or death!” This slogan was adopted by the anti-government protesters last week and changed to “Fatherland and life!”
Shortly after the protests, Diaz-Canel had also lashed out at the United States. But he later acknowledged that Cuban leaders were “somewhat responsible” for the country’s problems.
In recent days, some ministers stated that there will be “a mix of measures” to tackle, among other things, the shortage of food and medicines. But the authorities said that the political system is not being changed.
Hundreds of people have been arrested in the aftermath of the protests. The internet has been shut down.
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