Cuban Leader Blames US For Fueling Recent Protests

Scores of Cuban citizens have taken to the streets in recent days to express their opposition to the nation’s government, specifically regarding shortages in food and power. 

This is the first wide-scale demonstration in the communist country since 2022 when electricity was out for several days in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

For his part, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel sought to point the finger at the United States for policies dating back to the late 1950s and more recent actions that he claimed have emboldened protesters in his country.

“They’re always looking for justifications and turning things around,” he said in an interview on Monday. “The most absurd thing is that they have applied a criminal blockade against us for more than 65 years. That is the absurdity.”

Diaz-Canel went on to denounce America’s decision to declare Cuba a terrorist-sponsoring nation, declaring: “We are free, sovereign and independent, and we are going to continue building our revolution.”

The president voiced his resolve to continue fighting against what he described as lies and oppression from the U.S. government.

“Despite the tightening of the blockade, despite the fact that we have been included on a spurious list that can only be invented by a government as genocidal and as hegemonic as the government of the United States,” he said. “The revolution is very solid and the Cuban people are very aware of what it means to lose the revolution.”

Department of State spokesperson Vedant Patel pushed back against Diaz-Canel’s claims.

“Let me be quite unambiguous about this: The United States is not behind the protests in Cuba and the accusation of that is absurd. We are closely following these reports.”

While the Cuban leader has blamed social media misinformation for contributing to the unrest, Patel signaled his agency’s belief that the concerns of Cuban citizens are valid.

“Protests across several cities in Cuba yesterday called for electricity, food and fundamental freedoms,” he said. “I think that what we are seeing is a reflection of the dire situation on the island. We urge the Cuban government to refrain from violence and unjust detentions and are calling on the authorities to respect the Cuban citizens’ right to peaceful assembly.”