It had barely dawned this November 15 in Cuba, the date set for the Civic March for Change by the opposition, and Saily González, a member of the Archipelago convener platform, had already organized an act of repudiation in front of the door of her home in Santa Clara.
“50 henchmen at the service of the Cuban dictatorship at the door of my house from 5:30 am. I am still firm and with the intention of going out to demonstrate at 3:00 pm”, denounced the activist and former owner of the private hostel Yellow B&B.
A few hours later, González has published a new video in which she is seen laying white sheets at home while receiving shouts, insults and boos from those who are still stationed in front of the house.
The journalist Mónica Baró has highlighted that together with the people gathered in front of González’s house, flags of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) can be seen. “This means that the aggressors were thus identifying themselves as federated,” says the reporter, who now resides in Madrid, who then adds that the FMC receives funding from different international cooperation agencies from countries that promote themselves as human rights defenders. and it also has the backing of United Nations agencies.
If he does not speak immediately, Baró says, “there is no room for doubt: he is participating in the violence.”
From El Vedado, in Havana, Carolina Barrero reports that about 100 people gathered at the basement of her building around eight in the morning. “They cut my internet but I am with my mobile putting Homeland and Life on the balcony, “the curator and art historian tells this newspaper, adding that after shouting slogans, singing the national anthem and playing Silvio Rodríguez songs at full volume, the group entered the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (Icap) In front of his house are “agent Mario” and “agent Darío.” “They talked about the embargo, about the mercenaries, the same old story,” he says.
Yahima Díaz Barrabes, from Consolación del Sur, Pinar del Río, was barely able to take his son to school. “It was his first day of the course and it was important that he go,” he explains to 14ymedio. “The state security officer who attends me made it clear that I couldn’t do anything else, that I couldn’t go anywhere else because I have limited movement.” Díaz also has an “operation” of about 30 people in the vicinity of his home. “Some in front of my house, others on the side, in the background, so they are scattered, this deployment of security is something impressive, as if one were a criminal,” he laments.
This newspaper testifies to surveillance in all corners of Centro Habana, along San Lázaro, Galiano and Boulevard San Rafael, by both uniformed and plainclothes agents
In a first tour, this newspaper testifies to surveillance in all corners of Centro Habana, along San Lázaro, Galiano and Boulevard San Rafael, both by uniformed men and by agents in civilian clothes. In Galiano, the authorities installed platforms, presumably to offer performances. San Rafael cannot be accessed if the identity card is not given. It is also striking the presence of officers guarding the queues of shops this Monday.
Santiago also woke up with at least one couple of policemen on each corner, according to the correspondent of 14ymedio in the eastern capital. On Avenida de las Américas, one of the main arteries of the city, in front of each bus stop there is a couple of agents. In the main intersections of the city there are also patrol cars or little horses.
There are also black berets in Ferreiro Park and Garzón Avenue and, in addition, plainclothes agents in the main parks of the city that do not go unnoticed, since they are in uniform on this day with a red pullover, a slogan that the ruling party has given to oppose the target that the opposition has identified with the protests.
White flowers, also a symbol of the Civic March, were normally sold in state establishments and also on an itinerant basis by women who offered them in plastic buckets.
Demonstrations called in several Cuban provinces are expected for this Monday starting at 3 in the afternoon, although the Government has already warned that the marches are prohibited and has threatened arrests of those who intend to join, in addition to mobilizing its followers to try to defuse the protest.
At the request of the high representative for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, the diplomats of the European Union will be reporting what is happening today in Cuba and the UN is also monitoring the situation. The US has warned of more sanctions on the Havana regime if it does not allow protesters to march and represses them with violence, although these measures are not expected to work as a deterrent to the government.
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