U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken 'Celebrate' on Cuba Protest Anniversary; Island's Officials Pushback

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared a message on Monday in connection to the anniversary of the July protests in Cuba, paying tribute to the demonstrators, a view which was not supported by the island's officials.

In a statement on Monday, Blinken said that Washington "celebrate[s] the Cuban people and commend[s] their indomitable determination' during oppression."

"Americans watched with admiration on July 11, 2021 as tens of thousands of you took to the streets to raise your voices for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and a better life," the U.S. secretary of state underscored.

Blinken accused Cuba's regime of "condemning" the protesters to decades of long prison sentences instead of listening to their voices.

Cuba's Foreign Minister Slams U.S. Over Protests Last year

Meanwhile, Cuba's officials on Monday have a different view on the protest that occurred last year. Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez took to Twitter on Monday in response to Blinken's statement.

Rodriguez pointed out that they reject the comments of the U.S. secretary of state, contending that Blinken confirmed the involvement of the U.S. in the demonstrations last year.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also commented on the anniversary of the protests, claiming that if there was something to celebrate out of the demonstration, it should be the victory of the Cuban people and the Cuban revolution before the attempt to make the protests into a soft coup.

"There was vandalism, some with cruelty and tremendous belligerence," Cuba's president said.

The protests in Cuba last year were driven by Cubans' frustrations with shortages of food, medicines, and repeated electricity outages. Political change and faster vaccination were also demanded by the demonstrators in last year's rally.

Cuba's Protests

Cuba's protests, which occurred on July 11 and 12 last year, prompted thousands of people to go to the streets of Havana and other towns to voice out their frustration on certain issues, such as food shortages, which worsened during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cuba's government blamed the hardships on the sanctions imposed by the U.S. on the island.

Cuba's government arrested several protesters during that time but did not mention how many were placed under their custody. However, independent organization Justice 11J counted more than 1,400 Cubans arrested during the protests last year.

Last month, Cuba's government imposed sentences on at least 381 people who participated in the protests last year. Two hundred ninety-seven of those were sentenced to between five and 25 years of prison time for crimes of sedition, sabotage, robbery with force, and public disorder. In addition, at least 16 people aged 16 to 18 were among those sentenced last month.

In January, at least 790 people were charged after the protests in Cuba.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

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