They were registering their protests against the communist government’s handling of the pandemic and some even asking for a change in regime. But the Cuban government blames the decades-long economic embargo imposed by the neighbouring U.S. for the situation. Regime responseCuba’s President and secretary of the ruling Communist Party, Miguel Diaz-Canel, initially denounced these protests as being externally driven and called for regime sympathisers to come to the streets. The ORI became the United Party of the Cuban Socialist Revolution (PURSC), which later became the Communist Party of Cuba (Partido Comunista de Cuba, or PCC) in 1965. But the PCC had learned from the experience of the Communist Party of China and the impact of the economic reforms there, and after intense inner party debate, they decided to embark upon liberalisation, albeit cautiously.

Source: The Hindu July 17, 2021 16:19 UTC