Cuba: after unprecedented demonstrations, the regime mobilizes its supporters
Audio 01:26
A woman holds a portrait of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel during an act of "revolutionary reaffirmation" in Havana on July 17, 2021. AFP - YAMIL LAGE
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
In Cuba, the government massively rallied its supporters this Saturday, July 17, following unprecedented demonstrations by the population last Sunday.
A rally in which the historic leader, Raul Castro, participated.
However, he retired 3 months ago, which shows the gravity of the situation on the island.
Tens of thousands of people were therefore gathered on the Havana seafront with orders to defend the Cuban revolution.
Publicity
Read more
With our correspondent in Havana,
Domitille Piron
Cubans per hundred were brought by bus from all corners of the capital on the Malecon. Students and officials like Osiris, gathered to denounce and reject the popular protests hostile to the government last Sunday: "
What happened are acts of vandalism organized by the United States to destabilize the country while here we have always lived in citizen tranquility!
"
Among the crowd, a man dared to shout "
freedom
", he was immediately arrested and repudiated.
"
Down with the counter-revolution
", resumed in chorus the demonstrators, among whom the young student Ana Yusmary Montalbo.
“
If we discuss we can come to an understanding,
” she said, “
it is not necessary for these attacks and violence that we have seen in these demonstrations
.
"
►
To read also:
Cuba: the announced economic measure does not satisfy social discontent
And during this act of "
revolutionary reaffirmation
" President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced the manipulations and lies around the July 11 demonstrations: "
What the world is currently seeing in Cuba of a people who are rising up against their government and a government that represses its people is a lie.
Compatriots, no lie was created by chance or mistake, everything was coldly calculated from the unconventional war handbook.
"
Some 100,000 people were gathered this Saturday according to the authorities, while the figures for contamination by the coronavirus in Cuba indicate an alarming health situation.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Cuba
Miguel Díaz-Canel