MONTREAL -- Several people gathered in front of Montreal's United States Consulate General on Saturday, demanding that the U.S. government lift its blockade against Cuba, which has been the site of historic protests over the past week.
The event was organized by the Table de concertation de solidarite Quebec-Cuba, which has held similar demonstrations against the blockade in the past.
“This month, it took a special turn because of the disinformation campaign against Cuba,” said TCSQ-C secretary Sean O'Donughue. “We see the United States is increasing its pressure on Cuba. Since there have been demonstrations, they have exaggerated their scale to try and pretend that Cuba's system of government is in trouble.”
O'Donughue said he believes the situation will be used to justify a so-called humanitarian intervention in Cuba, adding that he believes the goal of the blockade, first introduced in 1962, has been to impoverish the country so that “the world will get enraged and overthrow the government.”
On July 11, demonstrations in numerous Cuban cities were held, denouncing a shortage of medicine and food and demanding more freedom and the abolition of the country's dictatorship.
The Cuban government has criticized the U.S., accusing its government of orchestrating the rise in anger through social media. The charge has been called simplistic by experts on the region.
According to the TCSQ-C, the U.S. has added 242 sanctions against Cuba and the blockade has cost the Cuban economy $130 billion over the past 60 years.
O'Donughue said he wants the Canadian government to maintain relations with the Caribbean nation and put pressure on the U.S. to end sanctions.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 17, 2021.
