On January 27, 2021, marking two months since the sitting of activists, artists, and Cuban intellectuals in front of the Ministry of Culture, around thirty young people returned to MINCULT to attempt to speak with the minister about the arrests and harassment that several individuals in Cuba had been subjected to since early in the morning.
Coinciding with the eve of the Apostle's birthday, about twenty members of the 27N organized to attend Parque 13 de marzo to "honor the figure of the Apostle, while renewing the demands for a fairer and more inclusive society, marking two months since the peaceful protest outside MINCULT," as stated on the movement's Facebook page.
The call, initially made privately, was shared from a profile on social media. Following this, members of 27 were alerted by State Security that they were aware of the organized initiative. Deputy Minister Fernando Rojas, for his part, reached out to three spokespeople from 27N to invite them to MINCULT to resume the negotiations that had been stalled since November.
The day of the 27th, however, began with arbitrary detentions, surveillance, and house arrests of Cuban activists and journalists to prevent them from attending the tribute to Martí.
For this reason, several members of 27N went to MINCULT to demand "immediate releases." The young people, whom Deputy Minister Fernando Rojas asked to march, ended up being victims of repression in Cuba, beaten on site, humiliated after being arbitrarily arrested, and some of them remained for several hours in an unknown location.
Instead of the dialogue with the authorities that the demonstrators requested, those who maintained the safe distance stipulated by the coronavirus pandemic were physically assaulted by the minister of culture Alpidio Alonso and forcibly removed from the area in a bus against their will. “We are not criminals,” some shouted as they were compelled to board the vehicle.
After the events, which were widely condemned on social media by individuals committed to the freedom of Cuba and outraged by the abuses against those who dissent, protest, or demand their right to be heard; Cuban television aired a report that only gave voice to the workers of MINCULT but did not show the aggression of the minister toward those who went to the institution to peacefully protest.
Mobile data service was intermittently cut off to prevent documentation on social media of what was happening that day in Havana.
On social media, where the moment when Alpidio lashes out at some young people has circulated widely, calls have started for the resignation of the Cuban Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso and Deputy Minister Fernando Rojas.
