Cubans have taken to the streets in large numbers this week, protesting against the country’s Communist rulers.
According to some media outlets, Covid has played a role in these protests, that is yet to be confirmed. It is believed however, that problems with food and power have been the instigators of such an unprecedented outpouring of peoples onto the streets of Havana and other cities on the island.
The protestors have chanted ‘Libertad’ and ‘Patria y vida’, ‘freedom’ and ‘fatherland or death’.
Some in Western media have claimed that the protests have been engineered by the United States, while this is always plausible, it would be strange for the indifferent Biden administration to take effective action on anything, let alone Cuba. That does not mean that there could not be some other US intervention in events, but perhaps this really is a relatively organic revolt against Communist rule in Cuba. Nonetheless, it seems inevitable that a ‘free’ Cuba will not be far away from being told to allow large US corporations and banks to take root, but perhaps the people will be able to resist that.
In the midst of the protests however, a priest was seen carrying Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre (Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre), Patron Saint of Cuba. The large crowd can be seen praying and venerating the statue.
Later social media reports claimed that the priest, Padre Castor José Álvarez Devesa, had been arrested.
A Spanish priest claimed that Communists based in Spain were using social media to slander Fr. Devesa.
There were images on social media of protestors being brutally attacked by the Cuban police, others of them being rounded up and arrested.
It is now being reported that social media is being blamed for the protests and that there is a brutal crackdown under way, rest assured that Catholics will suffer under this coming repression. Please pray for the people of Cuba.
