Cuba is blaming the United States for provoking rare anti-government protests. Demonstrators are demanding government action to deal with food shortages and power cuts. Farmers are unable to grow crops due to the worsening economic crisis and U.S. sanctions.

Havana

Cuba is currently experiencing a series of rare anti-government protests. The Cuban government attributes these demonstrations to provocations by the United States. Protestors have taken to the streets demanding that the government address urgent issues such as food shortages and frequent power outages. 

These economic difficulties are further compounded by an inability of farmers to cultivate crops, a crucial issue attributed to the deepening economic crisis and the impact of US sanctions. The unrest reflects the growing frustration among the Cuban population over the deteriorating economic situation and the lack of basic necessities.



Cubans stage rare protests amid economic crisis

Within communist Cuba's rigid, unproductive planned economy, agriculture has long been the Achilles' heel. Farmers are particularly affected by Cuba's deep economic crisis. In recent years, oxen have become the go-to option to plough the fields. That's because there's not enough diesel for tractors. This farmer says that five years ago, his vegetable crop was double what it is today. There's nothing. There's no fertiliser, there's no herbicide. That makes it hard to prepare the land. State figures show that in recent years, rice, bean and pork production have decreased. The near elimination of hunger in Cuba was until recently seen as a standout achievement. But now it's rising, spurred by a new layer of sanctions imposed by the Trump and Biden administrations. Neomar has had two dozen cows stolen over the last two years. Instead of sleeping at home, he now spends his nights watching over his herd. The biggest problem we're facing is robbery. That's what's affecting us the most during this crisis, and it just doesn't stop. Cuban farmers can own cows, but by law they must sell all of their milk to the state. Until recently, the state gave a kilogram of powdered milk every month to every Cuban child under seven. That was done by forcing dairy farmers to sell their milk at knock-down prices. But today, production and distribution are faltering, and children's milk is arriving late, if at all. Cuba is ever more dependent on food imports, but there's a cash crunch. Economists say the new sanctions knock billions of dollars a year from the island's foreign exchange earnings. Back in the 1960s, a US State Department memo said the sanctions on Cuba should aim to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government. That's still the aim, this military historian says. This is the most dramatic case of international economic warfare aiming, among other things, at agriculture. That's what it's aimed at, and it works. The market price for milk is now four times higher than what the state pays. To make ends meet, farmers are increasingly siphoning off staples to sell on the black market. The upshot is there's less food available at prices people can afford. Sunday saw protests in several provinces in Cuba. One at a chance. We're hungry.

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