Brian Nichols, responsible for Latin America-related affairs at the US State Department, made this Tuesday (16) harsh criticism of the Cuban government after the crackdown on peaceful protests scheduled for Monday (15) on the island.
“It is a clear sign that the Cuban regime is afraid of the voice of its own people and its attempts to repress its legitimate desire for democracy and to shape its own future,” declared the State Department representative in his first speech to Congress. since he was confirmed in office.
Nichols commented on the protests called for Monday in Cuba, which ended up not going ahead due to the arrest of opponents and blockades in the homes of activists and independent journalists. He spoke to the Western Hemisphere subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
According to the head of Latin America at the US State Department, Cuban authorities arrested, blocked and hospitalized activists across the island and tried to block internet access for some people.
Asked about the actions taken by Washington against Havana, the diplomat said that since the July protests in the Caribbean country, the United States had imposed “four rounds of sanctions” against the Cuban authorities involved in the repression.
“We will continue to look for opportunities to send concrete signals of support to the Cuban people,” he added, without giving details.
Activists and organizations from the Caribbean island on Tuesday denounced arrests, house arrests and intimidation by Cuban authorities to prevent the protest called for the day before.
The group of activists Archipiélago, which convened the demonstration, said in an official note that more than 100 activists are under siege and that there have been arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, acts of repudiation, violence, threats, coercion and hate speech.
For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez described the call for the march, which had been declared illegal by the government, as a “failed operation”.
Rodríguez reiterated his accusation that the US government had orchestrated the campaign in favor of the Civic March for Change, an initiative created by a group of young Cubans dissatisfied with the one-party system and centralized economy that has been in place for six decades.
Earlier, on Saturday (13), two days before the start of the protests, the Cuban government withdrew the credentials of all EFE Agency journalists and photographers on the island without explaining why or clarifying whether it was a temporary or permanent measure, but hours later gave them back to two of them.
However, EFE President Gabriela Cañas considered the measure “insufficient” and demanded that all credentials be returned.
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