Cuba summons the US ambassador for Washington’s “interference behavior”

The charge d’affaires of the embassy of U.S in To HavanaBenjamín Ziff, was summoned this Monday to the chancellery for “interfering conduct” by washington during protests against blackouts and food shortages recorded on Sunday in Santiago de Cuba.

The deputy minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío “formally transferred” to Ziff “the firm rejection of the interventionist behavior and slanderous messages of the United States government and its embassy in Cuba in relation to the internal affairs of the Cuban reality”, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

READ TOO: Former Boeing employee who publicly denounced the company’s practices is found dead in the US

The call to attention for the American diplomat comes after hundreds of people came out to protest in Santiago de Cubain the east of the island and the second most important city in the country with 510,000 inhabitantsafter several difficult days due to blackouts lasting up to 13 hours a day and food shortages.

washington He stated that these protests “reflect a”desperate situation“It is considered”absurd” the accusation that he is behind the demonstrations, according to the State Department spokesman this Monday, Patel seal.

The US embassy in Cuba posted a message on its X account on Sunday night to urge “the Cuban government to respect the human rights of protesters and to meet the legitimate needs of the Cuban people.”

He also said he had reports of “peaceful protests” in Santiago de Cuba and in the city of Bayamo, in the neighboring province of Granma and “other places in Cuba, with citizens protesting the lack of food and electricity”.

In the early hours of this Monday, the president Miguel Díaz-Canel said in X: “The troupe of the infamous wanted to go out yesterday and dance with the pain of the Cubans.”

Since mid-afternoon on Sunday, social platforms have been full of images of the protest in Santiago de Cuba which AFP was able to confirm with several testimonies.

In addition to Bayamoalso published images of protests in the city of Copper in Santiago de Cuba is at Santa Martain the central province of Cárdenas, which AFP was unable to verify.

TO KNOW MORE: Blackouts will affect a third of Cuba during the afternoon and evening of this Saturday

“Direct responsibility”

Fernández de Cossio also pointed out Ziff “direct responsibility” in washington “given the difficult economic situation it is going through Cuba at this moment (…), under the weight and impact of the economic blockade aimed at destroying the country’s economic capacity,” the statement added.

The United States has maintained an economic embargo against the island for more than six decades, reinforced in recent years, first under the mandate of Donald Trump (2017-2021) and continued by his successor. Joe Biden.

“If the government of U.S had a minimal and honest concern for the well-being of the Cuban population, it would remove Cuba the arbitrary list of states that allegedly sponsor terrorism”, adds the communication.

washington included again in 2021 Cuba on its black list of sponsors of terrorism, a measure that prevents commercial transactions of the island and investments.

Since the beginning of March, Cuba faces a new wave of power cuts due to maintenance work at the thermoelectric plant Antonio Guiterasthe most important on the island and located in Matanzas. Start-up is scheduled for Monday.

This weekend, power cuts worsened due to the fuel shortagenecessary to power the other thermoelectric plants.

to remove Cuba from the list of sponsors of terrorism “would end the persecution of the fuel supplies the country needs to import”the statement added.

Authorities reported on Saturday that the country was “completely affected”Due to blackouts, including in the capital, without reaching a widespread power cut.

In 2022 Cuba It suffered almost daily blackouts that caused outbreaks of social protest. O manifestation Sunday is the biggest to happen since then.

On July 11, 2021, thousands of Cubans They went out in about 50 cities shouting “Freedom” It is “we are hungry”. Hundreds of protesters were sentenced to up to 25 years in prison and dissenting voices of artists and intellectuals opted for exile.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.