Cuba (MNN) — Cuba’s largest protests in years have spread across the Caribbean island nation. Cubans want better medical care amid a COVID-19 surge. And since the pandemic stalled tourism, the island’s main industry, many people find themselves in desperate financial straits. Food and medicine have become scarce as well. Read more about these issues here.
Meanwhile, at least 100 people, including activists and journalists, have gone missing during the protests.
The protests had been fueled by Cubans coordinating and sharing their views on the internet and social media. But Brian Dennett of AMG International says, “I was able to reach one of our leaders that actually made it to Florida this week. He said that as of yesterday, all communications that he had with his own team in Cuba had been cut off. The government has cut off the internet to the people as a result of the protesting and so forth. He was very concerned.”
Most Cubans only gained mobile internet access in late 2018. Exposure to media from the outside world has quickly led Cubans to harshly criticize their government. Dennett says, “We need to pray that this changes and that we’re able to be back in touch with our workers, pastors, and networks. They are planting churches and doing discipleship with people all over Cuba. They’re just doing a tremendous job reaching lost people.”
The header photo shows protestors in Cuba. (Photo courtesy of 14ymedio, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
