The 2020 Cuban protests were a series of peaceful demonstrations nationwide in Cuba between 29 June 2020, and 2 December 2020, as a result of the death of Hansel Hernández, which took place on 24 June 2020, in the La Lima district, Guanabacoa, Havana, following an altercation with the local police. The reason for the altercation was that Hernández, an Afro-Cuban man, allegedly shoplifted. The latter, faced with the possibility of being arrested, tried to escape. During the 1.2 miles chase, the subject threw stones at the police officers, who opened fire on Hernández, dying of a shot in the back.[1] The government's official version is that it was only one police officer, wounded by stones thrown by the subject, who fired at Hernández.[2] The photo of the body was uploaded to Facebook by a local pedestrian, going viral in a short time. The National Revolutionary Police Force deplored the event but said the subject had a criminal record. The event was interpreted as an act of police brutality and racism by the Afro-Cuban community, for which Hernández was called "the George Floyd of Cuba", leading to demonstrations across the island.[3]

On 29 June 2020, peaceful demonstrations were held throughout the territory,[4] and in addition to demanding justice for Hernández, they also demanded the release of opponents such as Silverio Portal Contreras. The Cuban government accused the opposition of propagating fake news; on the other hand, the government was criticized for the sources used by related media coming from a YouTube channel with accusations of racism, homophobia, and transphobia.[5] On 30 July, members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba were transferred to various parts of Havana to control the demonstrations.[6] The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that the state company ETECSA cut off access to internet in Cuba to prevent an increase in demonstrations.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hansel Hernández: la muerte de un joven negro a manos de la policía de Cuba que genera protestas" [Hansel Hernández: The Death of a Young Black Man at the Hands of the Cuban Police Generates Protests] (in Spanish). BBC Mundo. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2021 – via T13.
  2. ↑ "Ministerio del Interior lamenta muerte de un ciudadano en enfrentamiento policial en Guanabacoa" [The Ministry of the Interior Regrets the Death of a Citizen in a Police Confrontation in Guanabacoa]. Cuba Debate (in Spanish). 27 June 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Movilizaciones por la muerte de Hansel E. Hernández, el George Floyd cubano" [Mobilizations for the Death of Hansel E. Hernández, the Cuban George Floyd]. ABC (in Spanish). 30 June 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "Convocan protestas pacíficas en Cuba para exigir justicia por la muerte de Hansel Hernández" [Peaceful Protests Are Called in Cuba to Demand Justice for the Death of Hansel Hernández]. CiberCuba. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "Prensa oficialista asume versión de youtuber anónimo sobre muerte de joven a manos de la policía en Cuba" [Official Press Assumes an Anonymous YouTuber's Version of the Death of a Young Man at the Hands of the Police in Cuba]. CiberCuba (in Spanish). 26 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Alertan sobre movimiento de militares en vísperas de protesta en La Habana" [Alert about Military Movement on the Eve of the Protest in Havana]. ADN Cuba. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "SIP y CPJ condenan la represión en Cuba" [IAPA and CPJ Condemn the Repression in Cuba] (in Spanish). Radio Televisión Martí. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
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