Protests continue to be a headache for Cuba’s communist leaders.
According to Freedom House (circa 1941), demonstrations started on July 11 “in San Antonio de Los Baños, southwest of Havana, and quickly spread throughout the country.”
These are anti-regime protests, a rejection of Cuba’s “economic situation, shortages of basic goods, and the government’s COVID-19 response.” In other words, a rejection of Communist rule.
The Daily Wire relayed how “Cubans were taking to the street in rarely seen demonstrations…chanting ‘Liberty’ and ‘Freedom’ and waving an American flag.”
Unsurprisingly, Cuba’s Communist rulers initiated a crackdown.
Fidel’s fanatics cut internet access to Social Media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The Australian added reports of dissidents being rounded up.
Mobilising riot police, far-left militants, and security forces across the country, Cuban President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, “vowed that the government won’t yield to protesters’ demands;” and called on “supporters to take back the streets.”
Gerald Seib of the Wall Street Journal called the pro-freedom protests a “milestone moment” – “the greatest struggle of our times: the contest between democrats and authoritarians; Demonstrators want an end to the 62-year-old dictatorship.”
He added, only time will tell whether or not an outbreak of global [including anti-Communist] anti-authoritarian protests – similar to those (squashed by the CCP) in Hong Kong – ‘represent the beginnings of a new anti-authoritarian tide or mere footnote for those who cheer for [constitutional] democracy.’ (Parenthesis mine)
Though hopeful, Seib isn’t optimistic.
Through ‘autocratic’ examples from China, Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, he argues, “freedom has been on the decline around the world for 15 years.”
In sum, autocrats are getting smarter about how they maintain their autocratic rule.
Cuban dissatisfaction with Marxist rule also challenges faithful Fidel Leftists in the United States.
Andrew Bremberg, President and CEO of VOC (Victims of Communism), has urged the Biden administration to “protect the Cuban people, and target communist officials with sanctions.”
The VOC press release firmly asserted the VOC’s advocacy of Cubans seeking liberation from “60 years of oppressive communist tyranny.”
Rising Republican star, Florida governor, Ron De Santis also petitioned the Democrat president.
Calling the Biden administration on their promised, and well-advertised anti-authoritarianism, De Santis challenged the Democrat hegemony to put their money where their mouth is, and fight for Cubans resisting real authoritarianism.
“I write to urge you to assist in providing Internet access to the people of Cuba standing up against communist oppression…I urge you to act immediately to provide Internet access for the people of Cuba.”
Petitions to support Cubans appear to have fallen on ears with selective hearing.
Biden’s July 12 response to the anti-communist protests was the worst kind of soft-diplomacy.
In a short, seemingly disinterested riposte, he asserted that COVID-19, and not Communism was the first cause of the Cuban people’s grievance:
“We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic…”
To guard against being accused of misreading events, they conveniently followed this with:
“…and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime. The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights. Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves.”
The White House assertion was supported by Julie Chung, Acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, as she stated on Twitter:
“Peaceful protests are growing in #Cuba as the Cuban people exercise their right to peaceful assembly to express concern about rising COVID cases/deaths & medicine shortages…”
Fans of Fidel played from the same fiddle. Such as The New York Times, which insinuated that anti-regime protests were simply just protesting against COVID-19.
The NYT mocked protesters by wrapping the word freedom in speech marks. Alongside implying that liberty was anti-government.
Shouting “Freedom” and other anti-government slogans, hundreds of Cubans took to the streets in cities around the country on Sunday to protest food and medicine shortages, in a remarkable eruption of discontent not seen in nearly 30 years. https://t.co/iJnMDGQUwQ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 12, 2021
In reply, Sen. Dan Crenshaw (Rep.) wrote:
“No they’re chanting LIBERTAD. Stop playing cover for communists and support the Cuban people. My god. Why is that so hard for you.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (Rep.) tweeted:
“This is a ridiculous tweet from @StateDept People in #Cuba are protesting 62 years of socialism, lies, tyranny & misery not ‘expressing concern about rising COVID cases/deaths’ Why is it so hard for @potus & the people in his administration to say that?”
Not to be outdone by the NYT, the “hate-Trump, love trumps hate” profiteers at CNN, upheld claims from the Cuban President, and blamed Donald Trump.
The Post Millennial reported that Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s chief White House correspondent was digging for a blame-Trump narrative from White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki.
Unhappy with the lack of cooperation from the Biden staffer, Collins took to social media, writing:
“The White House offers no update on any changes to the administration’s Cuba policy. President Biden promised on the campaign trail to reverse the restrictive measures put in place by former President Trump.”
The Post Millennial added:
“CBS News also pointed the finger of blame Monday at the Trump administration’s policies for Cuba’s poverty and crumbling economy.”
Even Twitter played its part:
To paraphrase: “Psst. Hey, kid. COVID-19 is to blame for the Cuban Freedom uprising, not Communism. They’re not anti-Communist demonstrations. They’re anti-Trump protests!”
Biden and big media’s assertions are both a direct and indirect contradiction of the non-partisan statements from Gerald Seib, Freedom House, and Victims of Communism.
Why deflect heat from authoritarians?
Because the wounded and oppressed are a direct contradiction of the Leftist belief in the Marxist religion, its false doctrines and its false messianic promises of a utopian Socialist paradise.
Cuba Libre!
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