A group of Cubans gathered in front of the United States Embassy in Santiago de Chile to call for a humanitarian military intervention in Cuba and to denounce what they describe as a catastrophe affecting the people on the island.
During the demonstration, one of the participants explained that they carried signs with the phrase “Make Cuba Great Again,” a slogan that, they noted, was used by young people from the independent project El4tico in Cuba and for which they have faced repression.
“Today we are calling for a humanitarian military intervention in Cuba. The situation of our people is terrible. Cuba is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe,” stated one of the speakers.
Another protester stated that they went to the diplomatic office to seek the support of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
"Today we came here as Cubans who have indeed lived through the dictatorship in Cuba to ask for humanitarian intervention from Donald Trump. We are raising our voices for the political prisoners, for those who suffer, and for those who are no longer here," he expressed.
The participants also openly criticized communism and the governments of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
"We have truly experienced communism firsthand and have had to emigrate. It took away our freedom and dreams," stated another attendee, who rejected what he viewed as an idealized vision of the Cuban model from certain sectors of the Latin American left.
At the event held on February 14, the protesters stated that in Cuba, the crisis is not a result of external sanctions, but rather of the current political system.
"In Cuba, there is no blockade. What exists is a Castro-communist dictatorship. It has been over 67 years since there have been free elections in our country," stated one of the voices present.
During the protest, slogans were heard such as “Long live freedom!”, “Down with communism!”, and “Communism is misery,” calling on democratic countries to support what they consider the cause of freedom for the Cuban people.
The demonstration occurs in a context of rising regional tension and increasing international pressure on the regime in Havana, while within the island prolonged blackouts, shortages, and a widespread deterioration of living conditions persist.
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