Four Cuban mothers staged a protest this Friday at the provincial government headquarters of Pinar del Río, demanding solutions to the dire conditions of poverty, hunger, and power outages. One of the demonstrators explained that there are four women with their children waiting to be attended to: "One of the mothers is with a child, I and my child, another with a three-month-old baby, and another mom with three children," she noted.
In a Facebook post, Cuban activist Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia asserted that "it is the Cuban mothers who are standing up," despite the fact that "an entire population is suffering from misery." She lamented, "Only they come out."
Protests in Marianao and Previous Demonstrations
Last Wednesday, another seven Cuban mothers with their children staged a protest in front of the government in Marianao, Havana, demanding housing, food, and potable water. However, in a show of complete disregard by the authorities, the women were attended to 12 hours after starting their protest and had to wait at the building's entrance—they were not even allowed inside.
Last month, these same Cuban mothers protested in front of the residence of the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana and also were not attended to. After that protest, they were threatened with prison sentences by the regime's State Security.
The Cuban mothers assert that they can no longer endure these conditions, with no food, no housing, no potable water, and power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day. Malnourished children cannot rest due to the heat and mosquitoes.
Understanding the Cuban Mothers' Protests
Here are some frequently asked questions about the ongoing protests by Cuban mothers and the dire conditions they face.
Why are Cuban mothers protesting?
Cuban mothers are protesting to demand solutions for the severe poverty, hunger, lack of housing, and extended power outages that are affecting their families.
Where did the recent protests take place?
Recent protests took place at the provincial government headquarters of Pinar del Río and in front of the government in Marianao, Havana.
What has been the response of the authorities to the protests?
The authorities have shown a complete disregard for the protesters, attending to them hours after the protests began and not allowing them inside government buildings. They have also threatened the mothers with prison sentences.