Cuba: Tactics of repression must not be repeated | Amnesty International

Following a new wave of island-wide protests in Cuba over the past several days, there are worrying indicators that the authorities are repeating the repressive tactics they used for decades and also during the crackdown on protesters on 11 July last year, said Amnesty International today.

“In the latest wave of protests that have lasted several days, Cubans are exercising their simple but historically repressed rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Alarmingly, it seems the authorities are repeating the tactics of repression they used last year to detain and silence protesters, hundreds of whom remain in prison,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

“The international community must condemn the cycles of repression we are seeing in Cuba in the strongest possible terms. It is unacceptable for authorities to keep intimidating, threatening, detaining, stigmatizing, and attempting to silence anyone who demands necessities like electricity, food, and freedom.”

Since the start of protests in late September, Amnesty International has received reports of on-going internet interference, deployment of police and military, including cadets, to repress the protests, and arbitrary detentions.

Starting on the evening of 29 September, the Cuban authorities appear to have intentionally shut down internet access throughout the country. The internet outage lasted for at least two consecutive nights.

Cuban authorities control the country’s only telecommunication network and have often restricted internet access during politically sensitive times or moments of protests.

Alarmingly, it seems the authorities are repeating the tactics of repression they used last year to detain and silence protesters, hundreds of whom remain in prison.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

Amnesty International has heard that the latest internet outages have made it hard for families to communicate following the passage of hurricane Ian, at a time when many people have had their homes damaged. They have also impacted the ability of independent human rights observers, including Amnesty International, and independent journalists to document the human rights situation in the country. Journalist Luz Escobar told Amnesty International that her internet was cut three nights in a row, impacting her ability to work, and that as of 4 October, several other journalists working at her independent online newspaper, 14 y medio, were without internet.

Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab has also analysed several videos that did not appear online before these protests. One video which Amnesty International analysed was filmed on Street 41, at the corner of 66 in Havana, Cuba, and appears to show the deployment of plain-clothed military cadets, armed with baseball bats, chanting pro-government slogans, including “I am Fidel.”

Another video, which also first appeared online in the context of the protests, and which is consistent with other videos Amnesty International has verified from the protests, appears to also show cadets with baseball bats chasing and then detaining protesters.

The Cuban authorities have developed a sophisticated machinery for controlling any form of dissent and protest, as previously documented by Amnesty International. While state security officials often carry out surveillance and arbitrary detentions of critics, the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution (local members of the Communist Party who collaborate with state officials and law enforcement agencies) also provide the state with information about, what is considered,  “counter-revolutionary activity.” “Acts of repudiation” – demonstrations led by government supporters with the alleged participation of state security officials – are also commonplace and aimed at harassing and intimidating government critics.

While communication with Cuba remains stunted due to internet interference, Justicia J11, a group established following the crackdown on protesters in July 2021 – has reported 26 detentions since 30 September, mostly of young people and artists, 19 of whom they reported remained in detention as of 4 October 2022.

Cuban authorities criminalized nearly all those who participated in the protests in July 2021, including some children, but flatly denied any human rights violations, and placed the blame for the economic situation almost exclusively on the US economic embargo. Similarly, on 2 October 2022, President Díaz-Canel downplayed the widespread nature of the latest protests and suggested that a minority of “counter-revolutionaries” with connections outside Cuba, had carried out “acts of vandalism such as blocking roads or throwing rocks” and would be dealt with with the “force of the law.”

Background

Following the passage of hurricane Ian, the electricity has been cut in multiple parts of the island, adding to the frequent electricity outages in recent months. NASA night-time light data showed a significant decrease in lights between 23 September, before the passing of Ian, and after, on 30 September.

Electricity outages have exacerbated violations of economic and social rights in the country, as in recent months Cubans have had to line up for many hours to buy food and other necessities, in the context of widespread food shortages.

The recent protests have occurred just 14 months after the similar widespread protests on 11 July 2021, which were followed by a crackdown on dissent. Hundreds remain imprisoned for the 11 July protests, including three prisoners of conscience: artists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel Castillo Pérez, as well as leader of the non-official opposition, José Daniel Ferrer García. Other prisoners of conscience named by Amnesty International at the time were released on the condition of going into exile.

The post Cuba: Tactics of repression must not be repeated appeared first on Amnesty International.

Skip The Scoop | Seek Understanding

‘Enough’: House GOP Pledges Investigation of DOJ With November Win After FBI Raids Trump’s Mar-a-Lago | The Epoch Times

Show Me

“Today’s raid is outrageous and unjust, but predictable.” | Rand Paul

Show Me

Sweden Is Now Plagued By Violence | SBS Dateline | Video: 29 Minutes 18 Seconds

Show Me

This Is The Real Reason The Political Left Hate Alex Jones | “You Mean Like What Jeffrey Epstein Did With The Clintons?”

Show Me

Democrats And Principles | A Contradiction In Terms?

Show Me

Leftist Ideology Is A Beautiful Thing | You Can Shoot Down A Crowd At A Parade | Dress Like A Woman ‘to get away’ | Tattoo Your Body and Face | And “No Evidence Has Emerged To Suggest Alleged Shooter Robert Crimo III Was Mentally Ill”

Show Me

Hum. . . July Fourth Shooter A Trans What? | “And just like that, we never heard about it again. . .”

Show Me

“Triple Vaxxed Are The Most Likely To Die From Covid-19” | Tennessee House Committee Testimony

Show Me

Emboldened By The Left, The Violence Against Police Officers Is Off The Chart | Bernard Kerik

Show Me

“There’s the confirmation that Jan6th was an FBI operation” | Scott Adams | Dilbert Comic Strip Creator

Show Me

Again? | “Dr. Anthony Fauci Tests Positive for the Coronavirus” | New York Times

Show Me

“They all knew, even Fauci, that masks didn’t work and still they forced them on us.” – Rand Paul

Show Me

Corporate Media Has Made ‘Mainstream’ A Dirty Word

Show Me

They Used To Be Called ‘Race Pimps’

Show Me

Iceland Finally Calls “BullSh*T” On The Covid-19 Experimental So-Called “Vaccines” | Iceland Lifts All COVID-19 Restrictions, Says People ‘Need to Be Infected’ Since Vaccines ‘Are Not Enough’

Show Me

The Collins and Fauci Attack on Traditional Public Health | Brownstone Institute

Show Me

Let’s Go Brandon | Robert Kiyosaki

Show Me

Elon Musk | Enough Is Enough

Show Me

Karma Is A Bitch | Comedian Heather McDonald Collapses After Stating “I’m vaxxed, double vaxxed, boosted … and flu shot and shingle shot and haven’t gotten COVID and Jesus loves me most.” As soon as she delivered the joke, she just collapsed and hit her head on the floor.

Show Me

As Heather McDonald Collapses On Stage Immediately After Bragging About Being Triple ‘Vaxxed”, Even Dr. James E. Olsson, Genetic Engineering, Johns Hopkins 2014, Biomedical and Cancer Researcher, Sees The Irony

Show Me

Instant Karm? | Heather McDonald Collapses After Bragging About Being Triple Vaxxed

Show Me

Canadian, and Apparently An American Music Thief, Neil Young, Quits Spotify In Protest Of American’s Freedom of Speech, Thought and The Right To Be Informed Just As The Covid-19 “Vaccine” Is CONFIRMED More Harmful Than We Ever Thought | “VAERS Data Confirm Myocarditis Risk After mRNA Vaccine” – Physician’s Weekly

Show Me

Many Americans Have Been So Frightened By The Media and Expert Class, That They Now Fear Over The Counter Medications as “Dangerous” | “Povidone Iodine (PVP-I) Oro-Nasal Spray: An Effective Shield for COVID-19 Protection for Health Care Worker (HCW), for all”

Show Me

Now We Know For Sure As ‘The Professional Expert Class’ Try Every Angle To Deny The Clear Data Just In: “Covid Scotland: Case rates lowest in unvaccinated as double-jabbed elderly drive rise in hospital admissions”

Show Me

COVID-19 statistical report | Public Health Scotland

Show Me

Lies and Cover-Ups. Anthony Faucis’ Recently Released Emails Show Government Officials Spinning A Tale On Covid-19 Origins | Video: 14 Minutes 41 Seconds

Show Me

Live Q&A: Fauci Emails Suggest Lab Coverup; Gain-of-Function Research Enters Spotlight

Show Me

Twitter Blocks ICAN Account for Stating They Will Be Releasing 3,600 Fauci Emails — LINK TO NEW FAUCI EMAILS BELOW

Show Me

Malliotakis: We Need to See Unredacted Fauci Emails on Wuhan Lab

Show Me

3 Ways Fauci Emails Expose Trail of Manipulation and Deception

Show Me

(READ) After NIH violates FOI law for months, it finally releases Fauci emails

Show Me

Fauci Emails Describe COVID Natural Origins Theory As ‘Highly Unlikely’ Despite Public Denials.

Show Me

National Institutes of Health: “We therefore hypothesize that nose and mouth washing with hydrogen peroxide may enhance those local innate responses to viral infections and help protect against viral infections, including the current coronavirus pandemic.”

Show Me

Dr. Mercola Describes Nebulizing Hydrogen Peroxide and Iodine To Combat Viral Infections

Show Me

Progressives & Neo-Liberals Panic Wondering How Will They Ever Control The Public Mind Now? | Boris Johnson Scraps Covid Vaccine Passports, Masks and ‘Lockdowns’ | Video: 2 Minutes

Show Me

Hero In The Making: Dr. Peter McCullough | Dr. Peter McCullough with Joe Rogan – The Joe Rogan Experience #1747 – Full Interview | Video: 2 Hours 45 Minutes 3 Seconds

Show Me

The Official Big Pharma, Big Media COVID19 Narrative Completely Crumbling – Dr. Peter McCullough | Video: 32 Minutes 14 Seconds

Show Me

The Truth about Masks, Mandates, and Vaccines. Dr. Peter McCullough with Sebastian Gorka | Video: 44 Minutes 24 Seconds

Show Me

Dr. Peter McCullough Reveals the Six Things Everyone Should Have in Their ‘Over-the-Counter Toolbox’ | Video: 59 Minutes 36 Seconds

Show Me

TPC #653: Dr. Mattias Desmet, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Peter McCullough (Mass Formation Psychosis) | Video: 1 Hour 11 Seconds

Show Me