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Weekly Report - 21 March 2024 (WR-24-11)
CUBA: Rare protests underline economic strife
On 17 March, protesters took to the streets in Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago de Cuba, and elsewhere, demanding an end to food scarcity and the chronic blackouts which have been afflicting the island of late. With some describing the protests as the largest since the unprecedented July 2021 unrest which prompted a brutal crackdown by the Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) government [WR-21-28], the demonstrations reflect desperation in the face of an ever-worsening economic situation on the island. This stems in part from the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and devastation wreaked by various hurricanes, among other things. The government led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel continues to point the finger at a familiar foe, Washington, for longstanding US sanctions. However, the recent dismissal of Economy Minister Alejandro Gil [WR-24-05], one of those behind the government’s controversial new austerity plan, suggests a recognition of its own role in the economic crisis.
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