The Cuban foreign minister has asked the US to end the economic blockade of the island, in response to the US president’s request that the detained protesters be released in 2021.
“If the United States government is concerned about the welfare of Cubans, it would end the economic blockade and faithfully comply with its predecessor’s policy of maximum pressure,” Donald Trump defended Bruno Rodriguez.
The blockade imposed by Washington “causes so much damage to the Cuban people” and is “a blatant, massive and systematic violation of human rights,” the minister wrote on the social network Twitter.
The publication comes hours after US leader Joe Biden reiterated his call for the release of “political prisoners” held during the 2021 Cuba protests.
Biden made the request in a statement marking Human Rights Day.
“In the face of repression, these protesters courageously exercised their fundamental freedoms, including the right to free expression and peaceful assembly,” he said.
The Democratic leader said his government remains united with the Cuban people “as they defend their human rights and voice opinions about Cuba’s future.”
Biden announced that the United States will continue to advocate for the release of all prisoners “in this brutal crackdown” and hold accountable “Cuban officials responsible for violence against peaceful protests.”
Trials against the July 11, 2021 protesters in Cuba have been taking place since the end of 2021.
Relatives of the convicts and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have criticized the trials for lack of guarantees, falsification of evidence and high exemplary sentences.
The foreign press has no access to the trials.
For its part, the Supreme Court of Cuba ensures due process has been observed in all cases opened as a result of July 11 (11J).
According to the NGO Cubalex and Justicia 11J, about 600 sentences were handed down after the protests, some up to 30 years in prison.
Since July, there have been protests across the country, mainly between September and October, due to the prolonged and frequent power outages and the management of Hurricane Ian’s effects on the national power grid.
The Cuban Conflict Observatory (OCC), located in Miami (United States), recorded 589 protests in October, five more than in July 2021.
Cuba’s Office of the Attorney General has warned that it is investigating the recent protests and that criminal acts “will receive a corresponding criminal response”.
Source: DN
