Dozens of Cubans took to the streets of Madrid to commemorate the first anniversary of the protests in Cuba

Dozens of people marched on Sunday in the Spanish capital, Madrid, to demand “human rights for Cubans”, during a demonstration that commemorated the first anniversary of the protests in Cuba.

Police reported that some 250 people participated in the march.

The voice of america found that among the protesters who chanted slogans were emigrants from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. “No more dictatorship”, “Democracy for Cuba now” and “SOS Cuba”: read some of the posters.

Some politicians also attended, such as Rocío Monasterio, of Cuban origin and deputy and spokesperson in the Madrid Assembly of the right-wing VOX party.

The demonstration took place almost a year after July 11, 2021, when thousands of Cubans took to the streets of the island, from Havana to Santiago de Cuba, frustrated by months of crisis, restrictions and lack of medicine and other resources to put a stop to the pandemic. A year ago they demanded from “vaccines” to “freedom”.

It was the first mass demonstration in decades on the one-party communist-ruled island, where dissent is often sentenced to long prison terms. Those who echoed the protests on social networks were threatened and ordered to delete the publications that showed the discontent and the magnitude of the protests.

Many were arrested, including teenagers, who have been brought to trial and sentenced to prison terms.

The government of Miguel Díaz-Canel then asked his followers to take to the streets to respond to the protesters, claiming that many were “confused” and pointed to the United States government to encourage the protests that shook the island. The island government also said that the goal was to “destabilize” the socialist system that had been in place for decades.

In August 2021, the government approved the Decree-Law 35, directed at content or messages that Havana considers to be false, offensive news or that may incite acts “that disturb public order.” Under it, anyone who tries to “subvert the constitutional order” will be considered a cyberterrorist.

In Madrid, the Cuban singer and activist, Yotuel Romero, led the march that will end in the popular Plaza Cibeles.

“It has been incredible, I expected few people because today is Sunday, yesterday was the day of gay pride (…) We have to continue ‘positions and connected,'” said Romero, one of the song’s authors. Homeland and Lifewhich served as inspiration and motto for the demands for democratic changes in Cuba.

“Let’s go to democracy, Canel and Raúl Castro,” he told the VOA one of the protesters.

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