As usual, the anti-socialist elements in this first communist nation of Latin America took advantage of the situation and came to the streets in protests but there were many genuine supporters of the Cuban government who just wanted to voice their demands that the Miguel Diaz Canel, the new president would take up the seriously the worsening situation in economy and take remedial measures.

To add to the woes of the Cuban government, the covid situation which was under full control in the first wave, deteriorated due to the influx of tourists and on Sunday, Cuba registered 7,000 cases which was unusually high and 47 deaths. Cuba was a model nation in covid management till now and its health care system is appreciated by World Health Organisation (WHO). Cuba helped a lot of developing countries in the last eighteen months of pandemic by supplying equipment as also medical personnel.

Naturally, Cuba is facing a real challenge this time. The U.S. agencies are making all efforts to encourage some leaders opposed to the government to escalate the protests level but the Cuban president made an appeal to the countrymen to understand the factors that have led to the present situation and assured them that the Government would take measures, best possible, to meet the president economic crisis.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in fact called for a united struggle against the crippling U.S. embargo on Sunday as he warned that opportunists were seeking to take advantage of the economic crisis. At the same time, he differentiated the protesters by saying in a televised address

“The protests involve many revolutionary citizens who want an explanation for the current situation in the country, but are also contaminated by groups of opportunists who take advantage of the current crisis to undermine order and generate chaos.”

The Cuban leader said he had listened to the people but warned that the main instigators of the protests wanted a return to the neoliberal economic model that has seen poorer countries denied access to the coronavirus vaccine.

He said that if the U.S. truly wanted to help the Cuban people, it would lift the blockade, which has been in place since 1959 — at an estimated cost of $753 billion to Cuba’s economy.

“The revolution is true dialogue and puts truth and ethics before obscenity and perversity. It does not negotiate its existence, it does not legitimize mercenaries, and it acts with security and firmness,” Mr. Díaz-Canel said.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden called on the Diàz-Canel government to "hear their people and serve their needs."

"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," Biden said in a statement.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also tweeted on Sunday night, "the U.S. supports freedom of expression and assembly across Cuba, and would strongly condemn any violence or targeting of peaceful protesters who are exercising their universal rights."

The U.S. President has not called for any direct intervention but he has been advised by his state department people to go on funding the opposition to step up the level of protests against the communist government. President Biden still continues the toughest sanctions against Cuba imposed by the earlier president Donald Trump despite repeated appeals by Bernie Sanders to withdraw those.

According to friendly political observers who have been monitoring economic situation in Cuba in recent months, the supply situation of food items is pretty bad now and Cuba needs international help. The improvement of the economic situation in Cuba is very essential and that is imperative not just for ensuring the continuance of the present communist Party led government but also for the interests of other left wing parties in Latin America which are preparing for presidential elections.

This is high time that the friends of Cuba including the communist Parties of the world send all possible assistance to Cuba to meet the challenge. China has to do its bit as the largest economic power among the communist nations. But the real help will come if the sanctions are withdrawn. The American Democratic Party, especially its left wing members have a big responsibility in putting pressure on President Biden to end the economic blockade.

There are only murmurs of protests not strong actions from the left to persuade President Biden. That is the topmost task for Bernie Sanders and other progressive democrats at the moment. Cuban economy has to be restored to its due health and that can be done just by lifting U.S. blockade which has been demanded so many times by the United Nations general assembly. (IPA Service)