#cuban protests

[plethoraworldatlas]

There are some big protests going on in Cuba right now over the living crisis. It's gotten bad; Over 425,000 Cubans have migrated to the US in just the last two years. That's 4% of Cuba's population in 2 years.

[pettypendagrass]

[persephone-is-here-omg]

Yoy're not a revolutionary if you've been in power for 60 years, lol

[antilagardelle]

In support of the Cuban uprising:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC127n70cH8

[luvsjimmyreed]

Okay, it looks like there are a few issues that I need to address. First off, the #SOSCuba movement is neither a Republican issue nor a Democratic issue. It's a human rights issue. To those of you on the right who are hijacking the #SOSCuba movement for your own agenda... shame on you! Especially to groups such as The Proud Boys... uh, you are aware that most Cubans are not even white - right? So for you to hijack the cause doesn't even make sense. Unless, of course, your goal is specifically to turn those left of you against the Cuban protestors... as you're exploiting the concept of 'reactive politics'... in which case, you really need to do some serious self-reflection - and think about just why it is that you hate non-white people so much. Now, to a specific segment of the left... not most leftists, mind you... I think you also need to do some serious self-reflection. Now, I agree with most - if not all - of the issues addressed by those who are using the #SOSUSA hashtag. So my issue here is *not* with the issues that users of that hashtag are addressing - but, rather, the way that these people seem to be mocking the concerns of the #SOSCuba movement. In other words, #SOSUSA is to #SOSCuba as #AllLivesMatter is to #BlackLivesMatter. We can address both issues here in the US and issues in Cuba. They aren't mutually exclusive. So, please, let's rise above the partisan pettiness and reactive politics - and focus on principles over partisanship. I believe we should be consistent in our principles, and oppose human rights abuses in *both* the US and Cuba... and everywhere else.

Jimmy Reed, On #SOSCuba Discourse

[electracopes]

hate to repost but it’s only on insta.

if you’re gonna talk about Cuba, watch this

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRYawauDBpS/?utm_medium=share_sheet

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laz Alonso 🧿🆘🇨🇺 (@lazofficial)

[chiripepe]

so what exactly is your stance on the current cuban movement?

Which Cuban movement? You’d have to define what you mean by that. As far as what I want: I want the embargo and all sanctions removed and for Cubans in the island to deal with their own government. Also I want Guantanamo base returned to Cuba (it was supposed to have been returned in 2000).

[persephone-is-here-omg]

I guess the fact that post went so far without anyone claiming that the protestors in Cuba are "not real Cubans" is in itself a achievement. Let's not forget that is an "argument" used pretty frequently among people who support governments like Cuba's.

[archer-bro]

I hope it includes guns.

[soletyue]

A thing about Cuba

Hello everyone! As some of you might know, I was born in Cuba and grew up there. I’ve been seeing a lot of opinions from non-Cubans that I believe to be based on very false information, so I will share something I shared on my personal instagram. For the record, I am a liberal, I am a pretty strong believer of socialism, and I am disgusted at the way republicans are exploiting this for their benefit. I will also state that no, Cuba isn’t a paradise and we don’t have more guaranteed human rights than American as I’ve seen other people state. Having lived in America for 9 years now, I can say that non-Cubans who defend the Cuban regime here have no idea what they’re talking about. Also, I am in no way denying the role that the US has played in the way Cuba is today, but I can let you all know that the US is the least of our concerns rn. Anyways, here is what I wrote:

I have been seeing a bunch of non-Cubans saying that people in Cuba are “happy with their communism” and/or that what’s going on in Cuba was caused by the US/is sponsored by the CIA, and here is some rly great life advice: don’t talk about stuff you know nothing about :). I was born in Cuba, lived a portion of my life there, and have most of my family on the island still. I can tell you with 100% certainty that Cubans are not happy with the regime. I grew up with my mom constantly worrying about not having enough food to feed me. Rations were not enough, and it was too expensive to buy food elsewhere. Both of my parents are college graduates; they had good jobs with what was considered “good” salaries, but they still couldn’t afford the high cost of food that came as a result of food shortages. The situation in Cuba today is much worse than that. The government opened up shops in currencies that the average Cuban does not possess and sent most food there, making it inaccessible to most people. Pharmacies are empty, my grandma is deteriorating rapidly because she cannot get the medicine she needs for her autoimmune disease. Hospital conditions are dire with doctors having to reuse decades old equipment, including latex gloves meant to be single use. They spend millions building hotels and things for tourists to enjoy while the buildings in Havana are crumbling on its residents. They send doctors abroad in mandatory so called “missions” (which are just a form of modern slavery, as the government makes millions off of them, but the doctors barely see a penny) while the country suffers from a shortage of doctors in the middle of a pandemic. Our healthcare system is crumbling faster than ever. There is no freedom of speech; people who speak up against the government are detained, some just disappear. People are starving. The government violates the human rights of my people on a daily basis and people continue to praise them for the lies they sell to the rest of the world. The Cuban government doesn’t care about us and they never have, so don’t you dare come in here and try to spread lies about my own country and my own people. It makes me want to scream in agony to see our voices and pain dismissed by people who have never experienced our suffering. 

To the republicans using this as fuel for right wing propaganda: fuck you. The suffering of my people is not for you to exploit for the benefit of your agenda. It is not for dismissing America’s own problems, and it is most definitely NOT for gaslighting the millions of BIPOC and LQBTQ+ who are oppressed in the US. Just because a country’s problems aren’t as grave as those of another doesn’t mean their problems don’t matter, so stop acting like there is no oppression in America.

I am happy to expand on any of these things for anyone who wants to know more.

Please, do not support an oppressive dictatorship just because it is “left leaning”/socialist. This is not the type of socialist system you want to support. Please do not punish the Cubans in Cuba for how the Cubans in Florida voted. This isn’t about left vs right, or about capitalism vs socialism or communism. This isn’t about America, stop making everything about America. This is about the basic human rights of millions of people that have been suffering for too long.

[luvsjimmyreed]

I understand that the position I've taken regarding both Black Lives Matter and the Cuban protests is a rather controversial position to take. As I've said many times before, taking a stand for what is right isn't always the easiest thing to do. On one hand, there are folks on the right who believe I should simply renounce my support for Black Lives Matter entirely. I cannot do that, however - as, to this day, there is still a disproportionate amount of black people being roughed up or even killed by cops. I cannot simply ignore that issue just because someone who claims 'leadership' of the Black Lives Matter movement makes a problematic statement. Once again, nobody has the authority to speak for the entirety of the Black Lives Matter movement. There is no leader for the movement. Now, on that note, I've also faced backlash from folks on the left that are... overly apologetic, shall I say... of the aforementioned 'leader' in question. Black Lives Matter is a movement, not a cult. I don't have to agree with everything that this little organization says in order to hold firm to my belief that black people have a right to be free from police brutality. I must make one thing clear. I do not support the embargo that this country, the USA, has on Cuba. I do agree that the embargo needs to lifted. However, that is not the *only* issue that plagues the Cuban folks - although I do contend that it is *one* of them. However, I also disagree with the authoritarian dictatorship of that country. Being in opposition to both the US embargo on Cuba and the Cuban regime are *not* mutually exclusive! One can hold both positions. I still don't understand how opposing a nation's government while supporting the nation's people can be such a controversial position for one to take. Criticizing the American government does not mean you hate Americans as people. Likewise, criticizing the Cuban government does not mean you hate Cubans as people.

Jimmy Reed, More on Black Lives Matter and Cuban Protests

[wiredratz]

Yknow, as a Cuban, the fact that the protest incuba or any Hispanic nation really is not being seen or heard hurts. We aren’t more important than anyone else of course, but people are starving. My great grandmother with cancer has to hide so the Cuban government won’t hurt her, she’s not even protesting. She CANT protest. They are killing people but no listens. The only conversation is people either bashing communism or socialism or bashing the US’s involvement with Cuba. Which these are important conversations but we are fighting instead of finding a resolution to the Cuban peoples suffering. But we are only viewed as lessers because of the red scare and our only education being about the missile crisis. I just want to see my great grandma before she dies, but I don’t think I will. It’s sickening the reality for the people that live in Cuba.

[ithacanradio]

for anyone wanting to get an idea of the effect that US sanctions have on everyday people in Cuba, and just how life is in the island, i highly suggest this netflix documentary: it covers decades and it's very easy to watch i promise

[newsfromstolenland]

It's interesting, and by interesting I mean transparent, that white americans and canadians are the ones trying to convince cuban people that their anti-government protests are US-sponsored. Yes, people are using this to suggest that the states should intervene, which absolutely should not happen beyond lifting trade sanctions, but that doesn't mean the cuban protestors are US agents!

This isn't about you. This isn't about me. This is about the cuban people. Not everything that happens in the world is about the united states (or canada)! Can we please focus on boosting cuban voices and not our own agendas?