A wave of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions reminiscent of the ‘Arab Spring’ in the Middle East more than a decade ago is starting to emerge across the Caribbean region, triggered by the ascent of civil war in Haiti.
This past weekend, the latest uprising unfolded in Santiago, Cuba, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Havana. Hundreds of residents took to the streets, decrying hours-long power blackouts and food shortages.
🚨🇨🇺 PROTESTS BREAK OUT IN CUBA CHANTING "FREEDOM"pic.twitter.com/FYZbl7i8Dw
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 18, 2024
🚨 CUBANS HIT STREETS AGAIN: FACING GHOSTS OF 2021’S BRUTAL CRACKDOWNProtests flare up in Cuba, recalling the grim aftermath of 2021 – over 1,400 detained, torture cases, and silenced artists. As tensions soar, global calls for action against Cuba’s human rights abuses… https://t.co/uAiybzgDYG pic.twitter.com/LMyRsgmujC
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 18, 2024
Cuba has plunged into an “unprecedented economic crisis” in recent years, “stoking a record-breaking exodus that has seen upwards of 400,000 people migrate to the United States.”
