Activists in Cuba are preparing to meet on Nov. 15th for public demonstrations just as government officials reopen the tourist industry.
After the July 11 protests, human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticized the Cuban government’s criminalization of dissent.
“The situation now is very tense.” Leticia Ramos, an activist in Cuba, said in Spanish during a phone call Tuesday.
Ramos also said the demonstration will go on despite the fear of reprisal because most Cubans are tired of the food shortages. She anticipates police violence.
Last month, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the U.S. of orchestrating the protests.
Meanwhile, some Cubans in Miami-Dade County, including Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, are planning to host demonstrations in solidarity with the Cubans on the island.
“If they repress nationally then the Cuban exile community will have the perfect platform to advocate for more sanctions against this regime in Europe and the United States,” said Gutierrez-Boronat, of the Cuban Democratic Directorate, a nongovernmental organization.
A group will meet at 9 a.m. on Sunday at the Memorial Cubano in Tamiami Park, at 11201 SW 24th St. They will lead a caravan eastbound along Eighth Street to meet boaters in an area near the Freedom Tower.
More about Cuba in Spanish