Change.org - President of Cuba calls for violence

After constant food shortages and a seemingly endless economic crisis, Cubans have taken to the streets to peacefully protest against their government’s corruption. But their government is fighting back. The military and the police have used firearms against civilians, all at the command of the Cuban President who called for violent retribution. Special force units armed with clubs attack protestors, and military units patrol the streets. Sign the petition to stand with the people of Cuba who call for an immediate end to all state-sanctioned violence. Stop state violence against peaceful demonstrators in Cuba 2,826 have signed Maria A Cabrera Arús’s petition. Let’s get to 5,000!

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Since last Sunday, July 11th, thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets to peacefully protest against their government’s abuse of power, corruption and inefficieny. Cubans are facing a humanitarian and health crisis with skyrocketing hunger, Covid-19 infections and deaths, daily power outages, lack of public transportation, rampant inflation, and ongoing violent political repression against peaceful protestors. Just hours after protests broke out throughout the island, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel ordered to respond with violence. The police has arrested hundreds of protestors. There are reports of many wounded. Special force units in plain clothes, armed with clubs and sticks, attack protestors, and military units patrol the streets, showcasing expensive and sophisticated anti-riot gear all the while the government claims that there is an economic crisis caused by the US embargo. The military and the police have used firearms against civilians. Furthermore, young people drafted into military, are being forced to participate in the repression of protestors. The government has suppressed Internet services throughout the island, arrested independent journalists, and denied through the state media the existence of any revolts, dismissing demonstrators as violent outcasts or mercenaries. Díaz-Canel has called on the "revolutionaries" to fight "counterrevolutionaries", escalating the conflict, rather than initiating a national dialogue.  We, the undersigned, demand that the Cuban government immediately stop state violence against protesters, release all prisoners of conscience, and take the necessary steps to initiate a process of national reconciliation and democratization. (Spanish) Desde el pasado domingo 11 de julio, miles de cubanos han tomado las calles para protestar contra la mala gestión gubernamental que, entre otras cosas, se ha manifestado en el aumento exponencial de las infecciones y muertes por Covid-19, en apagones diarios, en falta de transporte y alimentos básicos, en la devaluación de la moneda y en el aumento también exponencial de la represión. Desde que se iniciaron las protestas, el gobierno cubano ha suprimido los servicios de internet en toda la isla; secuestrado jóvenes para obligarlos a reprimir a los manifestantes, so pena de cárcel; empleado armas de fuego contra quienes protestan, o personas vestidas de civil, armados con manoplas y palos; utilizado los medios de prensa para desinformar, diciendo que apenas hay revueltas, que quienes han tomado las calles son marginales violentos, que muchos de los videos que circulan son de otros países y que la culpa es del embargo de EEUU. El presidente Miguel Dïaz-Canel ha llamado a los “revolucionarios" a luchar contra los “contrarrevolucionarios", declarando el país en pie de guerra en lugar de escuchar e intentar solucionar las demandas de la ciudadanía. Los firmantes exigimos al gobierno cubano que CESE de inmediato la violencia estatal contra manifestantes, que libere a todos los presos de conciencia y que dé los pasos necesarios para dar inicio a un proceso de reconciliación nacional y democratización.

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