Thousands of Cuban protesters are crowding the streets, calling for the end of the communist dictatorship leading the country.

People marched through San Antonio de Los Baños, which was caught in video footage. Other areas of Cuba are also seeing demonstrations, including Palma Soriano, The New York Times reported.

One woman shouted during a protest that people are dying of hunger. One video showed people looting from one of the government-run stores, which sell wildly overpriced items in currencies most Cubans do not have.

Carolina Barrero, a Cuban activist, noted that it is the biggest popular demonstration to protest the government, which has been leading Cuba since 1959.

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Cuba Protests

According to an Aljazeera report, the main cause that pushed demonstrators has been social anger driven by long food lines and a critical shortage of medicines since the start of the pandemic.

Havana is seeing a heavy police presence, with President Miguel Diaz-Canel calling on people who support the Cuban revolution to come out and defend it.

U.S. officials issued statements on social media, extending their support of the demonstrations. The officials had also expressed solidarity with the people of Cuba, Fox News reported.

Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said that Cuba's regime is shutting off the internet on the island. Salazar further noted that the Castro dictatorship does not want the world to see what is happening in the country.

She added that people should share and stand with the freedom fighters in Cuba.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio called out the mainstream media for not providing extensive coverage in Cuba's protest. Rubio also asked U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge members of the Cuban military not to open fire on their own people.

Meanwhile, Diaz-Canel addressed the nation and accused the U.S. of being responsible for the unrest due to the sanctions imposed on Cuba. The Cuban president further noted that provocations would not be tolerated.

Cubans were sharing a Facebook video showing the police's response to the growing unrest across the country, wherein a person is heard saying that the police had been beating the demonstrators, Tampa Bay Times reported.

Aside from the imposed sanctions, the pandemic has also worsened conditions in the country. The Cuban Health Ministry website said the country of 11 million had reported 32,000 active COVID cases as of this writing.

The NY Times reported that the country had recorded 6,923 daily cases and 47 deaths on Sunday, a record-breaking number.

The government noted that only around 15 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. Diaz-Canel took office three years ago, who was the first person to take office outside the Castro family.

Raul Castro has handed over the presidency to Diaz-Canel and stepped down as the leader of the Communist Party in April this year.

Diaz-Canel's term was remembered for his effort to increase access to the internet. It helped the public voice out their discontent against him.

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This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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