Photos From Inside Cuba Show the Intensity of Protests in Havana and Beyond

Chants of "We want freedom" and "We are not afraid" rung throughout Cuba Sunday as the country erupted in protest over economic anxiety and healthcare shortcomings around Covid-19, including a recent spike in cases and the government's failure to vaccinate citizens. The protests began just outside of Havana Sunday afternoon, and quickly spread across the country—eventually reaching Miami. NBC News reported that in several Cuban provinces "the government, which controls the only internet provider company on the island, has caused service outages to prevent live broadcasts" of the protests. According to BBC News, President Miguel Díaz-Canel "said the protests were a provocation by mercenaries hired by the U.S. to destabilize the country." Counter protests in support of Diaz-Canel also erupted Sunday.

In a statement from the White House, President Joe Biden said: "We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime. The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights. Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves."

The scenes across Cuba can be seen in the photos below.