By Cecilia Barría
BBC News Mundo
Published 20 hours ago
Cubans found out about where the protests were happening on social media
For several hours on Sunday, crowds of angry Cubans took to the streets to protest against the Communist government. They also took to social media, where they not only shared their discontent but tried to galvanise supporters.
The demonstrations, the biggest in decades, were a rare show of dissent in a country where unauthorised public gatherings are illegal.
There was no formal organiser of the rallies, and people found out about where they were happening on online networks. The live broadcast on Facebook of a gathering in San Antonio de los Baños, near the capital Havana, was seen as the starting point for protests that spread quickly across the island.
Until the internet was cut off.
Internet access in Cuba is something relatively new. Access to mobile internet was introduced in December 2018, when many gained the ability to consume and share independent news in a country where almost all traditional media are run by the state.
Since then, smaller events and protests have been held, and the government frequently restricts access to social media, as the telecommunications network is controlled by the state-owned company Etecsa.
This prevents people from sharing information about the gatherings and claims of abuse against authorities known for their repressive tactics to silence criticism.
It is a well-known tactic, used most recently in Myanmar where mass, largely peaceful street demonstrations against a military coup were met by a deadly crackdown, and in Belarus, after a disputed presidential election that was seen as rigged by the opposition.
In Cuba, people were complaining about the collapse of the economy, food and medicine shortages, price hikes and the government's handling of Covid-19. Sebastián Arcos, associate director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University, told the Associated Press the protests were "absolutely and definitely fuelled by increased access to internet and smartphones".
As the demonstrations spread on Sunday, Cuba went offline for less than 30 minutes at around 16:00, said Doug Madory of Kentik, a company that monitors internet traffic. Then, there were several hours of intermittent outages.
"Until very recently, large internet outages were very rare," Mr Madory said. "Internet shutdowns are new to Cuba in 2021."
It meant the opposition was unable to use one of its preferred tools: live broadcasts on social media, known as "la directa". The government cannot easily interfere with them as they happen, unlike posts with recorded videos or pictures, which can be deleted.
Ted Henken, a New York-based author who wrote a book called Cuba's Digital Revolution, said they had been an important development. "The internet was a facilitator in the protests because it allowed people to share pictures in real time on Facebook Live... These videos were made by protesters and not [opposition] personalities."
News of the demonstrations was also shared by independent journalists, influencers and artists with huge numbers of followers, and went viral with the use of hashtags, including #SOSCuba.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel slammed protesters as "counter-revolutionaries" while his foreign minister alleged the demonstrations had been financed and instigated by the United States.
For several hours on Sunday, crowds of angry Cubans took to the streets to protest against the Communist government. They also took to social media, where they not only shared their discontent but tried to galvanise supporters.
The demonstrations, the biggest in decades, were a rare show of dissent in a country where unauthorised public gatherings are illegal.
There was no formal organiser of the rallies, and people found out about where they were happening on online networks. The live broadcast on Facebook of a gathering in San Antonio de los Baños, near the capital Havana, was seen as the starting point for protests that spread quickly across the island.
Until the internet was cut off.
Internet access in Cuba is something relatively new. Access to mobile internet was introduced in December 2018, when many gained the ability to consume and share independent news in a country where almost all traditional media are run by the state.
Since then, smaller events and protests have been held, and the government frequently restricts access to social media, as the telecommunications network is controlled by the state-owned company Etecsa.
This prevents people from sharing information about the gatherings and claims of abuse against authorities known for their repressive tactics to silence criticism.
It is a well-known tactic, used most recently in Myanmar where mass, largely peaceful street demonstrations against a military coup were met by a deadly crackdown, and in Belarus, after a disputed presidential election that was seen as rigged by the opposition.
In Cuba, people were complaining about the collapse of the economy, food and medicine shortages, price hikes and the government's handling of Covid-19. Sebastián Arcos, associate director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University, told the Associated Press the protests were "absolutely and definitely fuelled by increased access to internet and smartphones".
As the demonstrations spread on Sunday, Cuba went offline for less than 30 minutes at around 16:00, said Doug Madory of Kentik, a company that monitors internet traffic. Then, there were several hours of intermittent outages.
"Until very recently, large internet outages were very rare," Mr Madory said. "Internet shutdowns are new to Cuba in 2021."
It meant the opposition was unable to use one of its preferred tools: live broadcasts on social media, known as "la directa". The government cannot easily interfere with them as they happen, unlike posts with recorded videos or pictures, which can be deleted.
Ted Henken, a New York-based author who wrote a book called Cuba's Digital Revolution, said they had been an important development. "The internet was a facilitator in the protests because it allowed people to share pictures in real time on Facebook Live... These videos were made by protesters and not [opposition] personalities."
News of the demonstrations was also shared by independent journalists, influencers and artists with huge numbers of followers, and went viral with the use of hashtags, including #SOSCuba.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel slammed protesters as "counter-revolutionaries" while his foreign minister alleged the demonstrations had been financed and instigated by the United States.
A number of people who had joined the demonstrations were arrested
Facebook, the most popular social platform in Cuba, as well as WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram remained restricted by Etecsa's servers, according to monitoring site Netblocks. But VPN services, which can work around internet censorship, were effective for many users, it said.
The disruption has contributed to a sense of unease, amid reports that about 100 people had been detained, according to figures compiled by legal help centre Cubalex. They included several high-profile opposition activists.
"Nearly all my friends are without internet," said Alfredo Martínez Ramírez, an activist in Havana. "And we don't know where many of them are."
EXPLAINER: Three key issues that explain protests
Facebook, the most popular social platform in Cuba, as well as WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram remained restricted by Etecsa's servers, according to monitoring site Netblocks. But VPN services, which can work around internet censorship, were effective for many users, it said.
The disruption has contributed to a sense of unease, amid reports that about 100 people had been detained, according to figures compiled by legal help centre Cubalex. They included several high-profile opposition activists.
"Nearly all my friends are without internet," said Alfredo Martínez Ramírez, an activist in Havana. "And we don't know where many of them are."
EXPLAINER: Three key issues that explain protests
Man dies in anti-government protest in Cuba: Interior ministry
Rare demonstrations spurred by a deepening economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic rock Cuba in recent days.
Rare demonstrations spurred by a deepening economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic rock Cuba in recent days.
People react during protests against and in support of the Cuban government in Havana on July 11 [File: Stringer/Reuters]
13 Jul 2021
A man died during an anti-government protest on Monday on the outskirts of Havana, the Cuban interior ministry said on Tuesday, as rare demonstrations spurred by economic inequalities have rocked the island.
Protesters took to the streets of the Cuban capital as well as other cities across the country on Sunday to denounce the government of President Miguel Diaz-Canel amid food shortages and a deep economic crisis worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
The rallies have been met with a wave of arrests and allegations of police brutality, as authorities cracked down on demonstrators.
The interior ministry said on Tuesday that it “mourns the death” of a 36-year-old man named as Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, who the state news agency said had taken part in the “disturbances”.
The Cuban News Agency said “organised groups of antisocial and criminal elements” had tried to reach the suburb of La Guinera’s police station, with the aim of attacking its officials and damaging the infrastructure.
Several citizens and security officials were injured in the protest, the report also said. It did not say how the man died.
This is the first confirmed death linked to the protests, which are the largest in Cuba in decades.
Waldo Herrera, a 49-year-old resident of La Guinera, told the Reuters news agency that protesters were “marching peacefully, shouting slogans like ‘Down with communism,’ ‘freedom for the people of Cuba,’ ‘we don’t have medicine, we need food.'”
Herrera said the protesters started throwing stones at security forces, who eventually responded with gunfire.
Diaz-Canel has blamed the unrest on the United States, calling on defenders of the Cuban revolution to take to the streets on Sunday to counter the anti-government demonstrators.
The Cuban president also said US sanctions on the country are fuelling misery.
Amnesty International said it had received with alarm reports of “internet blackouts, arbitrary arrests, excessive use of force – including police firing on demonstrators”.
At least 100 protesters, activists, and independent journalists had been detained nationwide since Sunday, according to exiled rights group Cubalex. Some were detained at the protests but others as they tried to leave their homes, the organisation said.
The Cuban government did not immediately comment on the arrests.
Cuba also has seen a recent surge in coronavirus infections, as doctors and nurses urge people to get jabs to stem the spread of the virus. The country has reported more than 250,500 cases and more than 1,600 deaths to date, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
On Tuesday, global internet monitoring firm NetBlocks said the Cuban government has restricted access to social media and messaging platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp.
NetBlocks, based in London, said on its website that Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegraph in Cuba were partially disrupted on Monday and Tuesday.
“The pattern of restrictions observed in Cuba indicate an ongoing crackdown on messaging platforms used to organize and share news of protests in real-time,” said the group’s director, Alp Toker. “At the same time, some connectivity is preserved to maintain a semblance of normality.”
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
13 Jul 2021
A man died during an anti-government protest on Monday on the outskirts of Havana, the Cuban interior ministry said on Tuesday, as rare demonstrations spurred by economic inequalities have rocked the island.
Protesters took to the streets of the Cuban capital as well as other cities across the country on Sunday to denounce the government of President Miguel Diaz-Canel amid food shortages and a deep economic crisis worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
The rallies have been met with a wave of arrests and allegations of police brutality, as authorities cracked down on demonstrators.
The interior ministry said on Tuesday that it “mourns the death” of a 36-year-old man named as Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, who the state news agency said had taken part in the “disturbances”.
The Cuban News Agency said “organised groups of antisocial and criminal elements” had tried to reach the suburb of La Guinera’s police station, with the aim of attacking its officials and damaging the infrastructure.
Several citizens and security officials were injured in the protest, the report also said. It did not say how the man died.
This is the first confirmed death linked to the protests, which are the largest in Cuba in decades.
Waldo Herrera, a 49-year-old resident of La Guinera, told the Reuters news agency that protesters were “marching peacefully, shouting slogans like ‘Down with communism,’ ‘freedom for the people of Cuba,’ ‘we don’t have medicine, we need food.'”
Herrera said the protesters started throwing stones at security forces, who eventually responded with gunfire.
Diaz-Canel has blamed the unrest on the United States, calling on defenders of the Cuban revolution to take to the streets on Sunday to counter the anti-government demonstrators.
The Cuban president also said US sanctions on the country are fuelling misery.
Amnesty International said it had received with alarm reports of “internet blackouts, arbitrary arrests, excessive use of force – including police firing on demonstrators”.
At least 100 protesters, activists, and independent journalists had been detained nationwide since Sunday, according to exiled rights group Cubalex. Some were detained at the protests but others as they tried to leave their homes, the organisation said.
The Cuban government did not immediately comment on the arrests.
Cuba also has seen a recent surge in coronavirus infections, as doctors and nurses urge people to get jabs to stem the spread of the virus. The country has reported more than 250,500 cases and more than 1,600 deaths to date, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
On Tuesday, global internet monitoring firm NetBlocks said the Cuban government has restricted access to social media and messaging platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp.
NetBlocks, based in London, said on its website that Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegraph in Cuba were partially disrupted on Monday and Tuesday.
“The pattern of restrictions observed in Cuba indicate an ongoing crackdown on messaging platforms used to organize and share news of protests in real-time,” said the group’s director, Alp Toker. “At the same time, some connectivity is preserved to maintain a semblance of normality.”
People shout slogans against the government during a protest in Havana on July 11 [Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters]
Havana-based journalist Reed Lindsay told Al Jazeera that mobile phone data remained down for most residents on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Cuba’s foreign minister has blamed the US of waging a “fake news campaign” to stoke the unrest amid a deluge of misinformation on social media, he said.
“It’s very difficult to pin down what is going,” he said. “There are a lot of rumors floating around.”
As the uncertainty in Cuba continues, US Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday said migrants considering making a journey to the US irregularly by sea will not be allowed into the country.
“Any migrant intercepted at sea, regardless of their nationality, will not be permitted to enter the United States,” Mayorkas said in a news briefing. “This risk is not worth taking.”
It is not yet clear whether the unrest could lead to even more people trying to flee the island, which is just across the Florida Straits from the US. Mayorkas said 20 people have died in recent weeks during these voyages. “Our priority is to preserve and save lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cuba’s foreign minister has blamed the US of waging a “fake news campaign” to stoke the unrest amid a deluge of misinformation on social media, he said.
“It’s very difficult to pin down what is going,” he said. “There are a lot of rumors floating around.”
As the uncertainty in Cuba continues, US Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday said migrants considering making a journey to the US irregularly by sea will not be allowed into the country.
“Any migrant intercepted at sea, regardless of their nationality, will not be permitted to enter the United States,” Mayorkas said in a news briefing. “This risk is not worth taking.”
It is not yet clear whether the unrest could lead to even more people trying to flee the island, which is just across the Florida Straits from the US. Mayorkas said 20 people have died in recent weeks during these voyages. “Our priority is to preserve and save lives,” he said.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
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