Miguel Díaz-Canel appeared on the night of this Sunday at the National Defense Council (CDN), where he attended dressed in olive green and clearly threatened to suppress citizen protests that may arise due to the collapse of the national electrical system, which has plunged the Cuban population into unprecedented chaos.
After reporting on the catastrophic situation of the country, for which he provided no immediate solution - and in the company of Manuel Marrero, who also attended in similar attire - Díaz-Canel issued a threatening warning.
"There is all the willingness, all the capacity, and all the deployment and scope of the systems we have organized from the defense councils, from the organizations, from the party, from the government administrations to respond to the population's concerns, as long as it is done in a civilized, organized, and disciplined manner," the leader pointed out.
"But we are not going to accept and we will not allow anyone to act by provoking vandalistic acts, much less disturbing the peace of our people, and that is a conviction and that is a principle of our revolution," he added.
Díaz-Canel referred to a "citizen tranquility" that is completely nonexistent in Cuba, as the current situation is one of great despair, a crisis that globally often serves as a precursor to major social movements, hence the regime's concern.
At another point in his speech, the ruler highlighted the understanding and behavior of the people, emphasizing values such as solidarity at the community level.
However, he alluded to "a minimal number of people, the majority in a state of intoxication, who have behaved indecently."
"They have tried to provoke disturbances of public order, they have attempted vandalism and to disrupt the peace of our town. This opportunity is also being taken advantage of by those working under the guidance provided by the operators of the Cuban counter-revolution from abroad," he added.
He likewise celebrated the dedication of the personnel of the national electrical energy system, stating that they work under a lot of tension to achieve a stable supply of electricity to the population in the shortest possible time.
He recognized the leaders and officials of the Party, as well as other political and mass organizations that have been in the most complex locations, addressing each of the situations.
On social media, hundreds of Cubans – inside and outside of Cuba – have reacted with outrage to Díaz-Canel's threats, which bring to mind those he made in response to the protests of July 11th.
In recent hours, there have been reports of protests in some areas of Havana and in other locations such as Manicaragua, in Villa Clara.
Cubans from their homes, from their sidewalks, and sheltered by the darkness of the night that allows them to maintain anonymity, banged pots in municipalities such as Cerro, Habana del Este, and Marianao.
In the recordings published this Sunday night on social media, shouts of "Down with the Dictatorship," "Freedom," and "We want to be free" can be heard.
In some cases, there was a deployment of police forces that attempted to suppress the protests. The government chose to cut off internet access in several areas to prevent the dissemination of videos.
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