In defiance of Cuba's government, a young artist who emerged as one of the country's leading opposition leaders vowed that he and others are moving forward with national protests planned for Nov. 15.
We know we can go to prison, we know terrible things can happen, Yunior Garc a, 39, told NBC News via WhatsApp messages about the planned demonstration to demand civil liberties in the communist country. On July 11, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in historic protests calling for change and demanding an end to food and medicine shortages.
Following the protests, the Cuban government detained and imprisoned hundreds of people. A recent Human Rights Watch report found security forces violated due process, forced to beat, sexually abused or forced into solitary confinement Cubans who participated in the protests. The Cuban government has denied reports of abuse.
More than 560 people are still in jail, including some of the most well-known activists, according to the human rights group Cubalex.
On Thursday, prosecutors warned opposition leaders against protesting and summoned them.
Nov. 15 has to happen because we haven t been allowed to protest for 62 years, he said, adding that if one counts the years before Fidel Castro under dictator Fulgencio Batista, it s been 70 years without democracy.
Garc a said that authorities had cut off his cellphone and that he was using one that had been loaned to him. He quoted Castro: Within the revolution, everything. It's difficult to define what is revolution at this moment, Garc a said.
Thursday wasn t the first time the government rejected the planned protests. They were first scheduled for Nov. 20 but authorities declared that a National Defense Day when citizens practice for an invasion by the United States.
Organizers decided to change the day of the protest to Nov. 15, but the government denied the request, saying it's an effort to overthrow the government.
After the protests this summer, Garc launched a Facebook group for political debate called Archipelago, where members have called for the protests, scheduled to take place in the capital, Havana, and six other provinces.
The government has taken to state-run media to make its case. Last week, Garc a was vilified on television, where they said he is backed by the United States, who Cuba accuses of trying to destabilize the country.
Cuba generally characterizes most opposition leaders as mercenaries. They called the protest a provocation. When Garc picked up the United States government s response to the protest request, a small group of people held signs with dollar bills on them, insinuating he is financially backed by the official government.
Garc a denies all such claims and said members of Archipelago made a pact to not receive any type of funding. He said at one point he thought it was possible to hold a dialogue with the government, but when you see all lies, defamation, blackmail, threats from authorities then you lose hope for a dialogue. They have reached out to our families with blackmail, with defamations, and trying to pit our parents against us. Many of us have been surprised at the dignity of the parents, who believed in the revolution until yesterday, Garc a said. But seeing the blackmail has disappointed them and they have quickly realized they have been living a lie. The pandemic along with a decadeslong U.S. embargo and the state-run, communist economy has left the government, the sole importer of goods, with little hard currency to purchase food, medicine and hygiene products, leading to widespread shortages.
Many young Cubans are disenchanted with the way Cuba is run and the lack of change during the past 60 years. Not seeing a future for themselves on the island, the solution for many Cubans has historically been to emigrate, but that has become more difficult in recent years.
I think that has changed and people believe they need to be here. This is the country we were born in and we have the power to change it, Garc a said.
He believes that change can be achieved in Cuba through peaceful means. Since 1959, protests against the government have been authorized, but the new constitution opened a space for demonstrations deemed legitimate in 2019. Garc a says he is against the U.S. embargo on Cuba and any foreign military intervention. But he also stated that if there is such a brutal embargo against medicines and food then how is it possible that for tourists, all these resources magically appear? If this is really a socialist country, how can we live differently? Garc a said. There is enormous inequality, just like there is in the worst capitalism. Garc a said he would like more freedom to do his work. There is one institution that you belong to, and outside that institution it s very difficult to perform your art. On Friday, Garc tweeted that he woke up to find a dead chicken hanging on the door of his house with blood and dirt on the floor. Though it's an act used in the Afro-Cuban Santeria religion meant to inflict harm on a person, Garc a said he didn't see it as a political act, but more one of religious repudiation.
Cuba plans to open its borders to tourism on 15 Nov., the day of the planned protest.
As to whether fear of a crackdown will deter large numbers of Cubans from marching in November, Garcia said, People are becoming empowered — they are losing their fear. We cannot continue living like sheep, he said. This is the country where my grandparents were born, and we cannot allow a group to kidnap an entire country and have us muzzled.