Cubans are sick of living under a brutal communist regime

Caribbean countries are often portrayed as chilled out and laid-back. Picture Jamaica and no doubt some of you think of cricket, reggae, lazy days on the beach and a “no problem” attitude to life – not something you would currently attribute to the people of Cuba. 

The people of this beautiful island – to adopt another well-worn cliche – appear to be full of latin fire. Many of them are fed up with the country’s authoritarian and brutal communist government. A lot of their anger is directed at its chronic mismanagement of the economy. Rising prices and food shortages have meant many have taken to the streets to voice their anger and frustration with Miguel Díaz-Canel – Cuba’s President.  

What started as a small protest against power blackouts in the town of San Antonio de los Baños has spread all over the island. In scenes rarely seen since the regime took power in 1959, thousands of demonstrators have poured onto the streets of Havana chanting ‘Freedom!’ ‘Down with the dictatorship!’ and ’No tenemos miedo’ (We are not afraid).

If the risk of mass starvation wasn’t bad enough, factor in a global pandemic and you have the very real possibility of a mass uprising on your hands.   

Coronavirus has dealt a severe blow to the country’s economy. In order to generate revenue for its predominantly state-run industry, the country relies heavily on tourism. With this vital sector effectively shut down by the global pandemic, its economy has contracted by 11 per cent. 

There might be some good news. Cuba is developing its own vaccines – its Abdala vaccine is said to be 92 per cent effective against the virus, although a healthy degree of scepticism is necessary as all information is strictly regulated by the Communist Party. But the virus has run rampant and cases have spread inexorably throughout the island. Bereft of basic medical equipment, the country’s vaunted healthcare system has completely broken down. Medicines are being traded between citizens on WhatsApp and Telegram. With prices contingent upon access to US dollars or euros, it is the poorest who inevitably pay the most in this most volatile of currency black markets. 

In response to the protests, Díaz-Canel took to state-run TV to urge “all the revolutionaries [and] communists” to take to the streets to protect the country – meaning defend the government. Around 300 counter-protestors decided to heed the call. As they sought to quell the demonstrators, the internet was shut off and protestors were beaten and fired at while journalists were attacked by police officers. The right to protest is heavily regulated in Cuba. According to Amnesty International, since the protests began at least 140 Cubans have been detained or simply “disappeared”.

The country has a vice-like grip on communications. Press freedom is non-existent. The country has been rated among the “least free” on the Press Freedom Index – 171 out of 180 countries. For context, that’s just 6 places above China. 

So it came as no surprise when Black Lives Matter (BLM) decided to praise the country by putting out a message on social media sharing “solidarity with oppressed peoples of African descent.”

It’s not the first time the group have been in awe of the communist regime of Cuba. They were gushing in their praise of former dictator Fidel Castro after his death in 2016. Castro frequently organised mass executions while murdering dissidents and imprisoning his political opponents. He also offered a safe haven for Assata Shakur – a woman convicted of the murder of a police officer – who broke out of prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba. 

Whenever Cuba comes up, BLM and the far-left always claim that its problems can be attributed to America’s ongoing trade embargo with the country. Known by Cubans as ‘El bloqueo’, sanctions have been imposed on Cuba by successive US presidents since 1958. Dianne Abbot has adopted this reductionist and simplistic narrative, tweeting “The blockade is the source of all Cuba’s economic difficulties.” While Cuba has hundreds of problems, there is a certain sense of truth in this. I kind of agree. The blockade should come to an end. If only to let the country fail on its own terms. This would rob the far-left of the standard “American Imperialism” excuse whenever the country hits the headlines.

With this in context, is it any wonder that Cubans are fleeing their once loved country and heading to Florida? In some cases using rusted iron sheets and spades as makeshift rafts to cross the one hundred miles of shark infested waters to escape Díaz-Canel’s brutal one party dictatorship. 

This might explain or at least give us a reason why Joe Biden doesn’t want Cuban immigrants. From their own experience they have lived through the type of repression reminiscent of all Marxist governments. They have seen their beloved country wrecked by an authoritarian, centrally planned economic system embraced by Cuba’s governing elite. As such, they tend to vote Republican. According to the Pew Research Centre, among registered voters in the United States, 58 per cent of Cubans identify as Republican. 

By openly supporting Cuba, BLM has given tacit approval to one of the most illiberal and hostile governments in the world. Its support is a PR disaster – a politically naive love letter to the island’s repressive communist regime. It absolves the dictatorship of any wrongdoing when it comes to the human rights abuses and suffering of 11 million Cubans, and dumps all the blame on the United States. All while eulogising a cop-killer.

Wrong. So wrong.