Calgary Herald

Cuban-calgarians plan protests to oppose dictatorsh­ip

- DYLAN SHORT

Calgary's Cuban community has planned numerous protests and demonstrat­ions to raise awareness about the political situation on the Caribbean island country.

Thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets in recent weeks to speak out against the communist government. Spurred by shortages of medicine and food, as well as rising COVID-19 numbers, people in the country have taken the rare step of vocally speaking out against the Communist Party of Cuba's rule.

In response, president Miguel Diaz-canel's government has deployed police and military, blocked social media and internet access, and blamed the lack of supplies on U.s.-sanctioned blockades placed on the country. A human-rights group has reported at least 100 people, including activists, have been detained in the country.

Anne Marie Harmsen, a Chestermer­e resident with family in Cuba, said her relatives are terrified of what might happen to them, and her family in Canada has been left feeling helpless.

“You can't help at all. Before, you know, we could always send money or food but it was a Band-aid,” said Harmsen. “What they actually need, they actually needed to be free.”

She said family members have told her they are afraid to speak out against the government or show any support for anti-government sentiments online. They said police roam the streets everyday, some in uniform, some in plain clothes. Harmsen said her family in Canada also do not know if they will receive backlash, noting they may no longer be able to visit the island after speaking out publicly.

“These people are desperate and they just want to be heard, and they want people to know the way that they've been living,” said Harmsen. “They are terrified.”

Harmsen said she has seen conditions worsen in Cuba on her nearly annual visits to see family. She said she noticed shelves in stores were becoming increasing­ly bare and that the last time she went, before the pandemic, it was difficult to find medicine for her daughter. She said her hope is for the country to see a democracy implemente­d.

She said the local Cuban community wants to raise awareness in Canada about the situation in Cuba and show the Cuban people they are not alone.

“Trying to get people to be aware of kind of what is going on down there and, you know, bring awareness to people who go down to Cuba, kind of what they are supporting,” said Harmsen.

She said there have been close to half a dozen protests around Calgary so far and another is being planned for Friday evening. Harmsen said a group of Cuban-calgarians are planning to meet at 6 p.m. to march down 8th Avenue from 4th Street to city hall, to “support Cuban freedom.”

Harmsen said she wants the Canadian government to intervene.

“They're alone, they're essentiall­y alone on this island with nothing,” said Harmsen. “From our government, I mean, somebody's got to do something.”

Cristelle Chartrand, a spokeswoma­n for Global Affairs Canada, said Canada is closely monitoring the situation in Cuba and officials are concerned with “recent events.”

“Canada will always support freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly free from intimidati­on,” said Chartrand.

She said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously called for greater freedoms and more defence of human rights in Cuba.

 ?? GAVIN YOUNG ?? Cuban-canadians Anne Marie Harmsen and her husband Jose Gonzalez are part of local protests calling for democracy in Cuba.
GAVIN YOUNG Cuban-canadians Anne Marie Harmsen and her husband Jose Gonzalez are part of local protests calling for democracy in Cuba.

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