Regulators say Cuba restricts social media access in the face of rare protests

Sarah Marsh and Elizabeth Califord

Havana (Reuters)-Global Internet surveillance company NetBlocks said on Tuesday that after the largest anti-government protests in decades, Cuba has restricted access to social media and messaging platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp.

Thousands of Cubans participated in demonstrations throughout the communist country on Sunday to protest a severe economic crisis https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cubas-president-blames-discontent-us -sanctions-2021-07-12 This led to shortages of basic commodities and power outages. They also protested the way the government handled the coronavirus pandemic and restricted civil liberties.

The Cuban government stated that these demonstrations were orchestrated by counter-revolutionaries funded by the United States, an old Cold War rival, and manipulated the frustration of the economic crisis caused by the decades-long US trade embargo.

In a country that strictly limits public dissent, the protests basically ended on Sunday night as security forces were deployed to the streets. President Miguel Diaz-Canel called on government supporters to go out and defend their revolution. Fight.

But according to official media reports on Tuesday, another protest erupted in La Ginella, a southern suburb of Havana later on Monday. A man was killed and several others, including members of the security forces, were hospitalized with injuries.

It does not say what caused the death. So far, no other deaths and injuries have been officially confirmed.

According to two residents and video clips seen by Reuters, hundreds of people took to the streets of La Ginella, chanting slogans such as “Down with Communism” and “Freedom of the Cuban People”. A 49-year-old resident, Waldo Herrera, said some people started throwing stones at the security forces, and they eventually responded by shooting.

“I think the Communist Party has lost control and they cannot solve this situation,” he said. “People are tired of so much humiliation, so much suppression.”

Late Monday, a Reuters witness saw dozens of people leaving Rajnella with clubs.

Activists say the government is using so-called rapid response brigades—a civilian recruitment group organized by the government—to counter protesters.

They also accused the government of trying to interfere with communications. The mobile Internet, launched more than two years ago, has been a key factor behind the protests, providing Cubans with more platforms to express their dissatisfaction and allowing people to quickly spread the word on the streets.

According to Reuters witnesses, in the capital, there have been regular and atypical disruptions to the mobile Internet since Sunday.

London-based NetBlocks stated on its website that Cuba’s Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegraph were partially disrupted on Monday and Tuesday.

NetBlocks Director Alp Toker said: “The restricted patterns observed in Cuba indicate that messaging platforms used to organize and share protest news in real time are being continuously hit.” “At the same time, some connectivity is preserved to keep the surface normal. .”

When asked whether the government intends to restrict Internet connections, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said at a press conference that the situation is “complex”. He said that power outages may affect telecommunications services, “Cuba will never give up the right to self-defense.”

Whether it’s Telegram or Facebook (NASDAQ:) who owns Instagram and WhatsApp immediately responded to a request for comment. Twitter Company (New York Stock Exchange:) said it did not find that its service was blocked.

“Our weapon is the Internet. If they take the Internet, we will be defenseless,” said Gino Ocumares, a Havana resident, because he tried to connect to the government Wi-Fi hotspot network but failed. “The government doesn’t want people to see the truth.”

‘provocative’

The Cuban News Agency stated that Raginella’s protests were led by “anti-social and criminal elements” who tried to reach the police station with the aim of attacking its officials and destroying infrastructure.

The agency said that when security forces stopped them, they destroyed houses, set fire to containers, damaged electrical wires in the suburbs, and attacked officials with stones and other objects.

State media also reported on Tuesday that Raul Castro, who stepped down as leader of the Cuban Communist Party in April, attended Sunday’s meeting of the Politburo to resolve the issue of “provocation”.

Diaz-Canel said in April that he will continue to consult with Castro on the most important issues.

Anti-rallies by government supporters have been happening all the time. On Tuesday, about 100 supporters holding Cuban flags gathered in the Vedado business district in Havana.

The Conference of Cuban Bishops stated in a statement that it fears that the response to protests of legitimate concerns will be “still”, rather than trying to solve these problems, and will even backfire its stance.

According to Cubalex, the exile rights group, nearly 200 people were arrested during or after the biggest protest wave on Sunday, adding that so far, only 19 people have been confirmed to have been released.

“During multiple interrogations, we made it clear that no one instructed us to take to the streets from abroad, and no one paid us a penny to do what we did,” the theater director Uniol Garcia was told during the protest. catch. Havana wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.

He said he was released on Monday, but police officials told him that he is still under investigation.

The reaction to the Latin American protests was ideologically divided. The Mexican president blamed the riots on the US embargo, while Chile and Peru urged the governments to allow democratic protests.

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that the United States “stands firmly with the Cuban people because they stand for their universal rights.”

State Department spokesperson Ned Price called on the Havana government to open all online and offline communication methods.

Price said at a press conference on Tuesday: “Turn off technology and close information channels-this will not help solve the legitimate needs and wishes of the Cuban people.”