Foreign ministers of more than twenty countries condemn mass arrests in Cuba

On Monday, the US with 20 other nations' foreign ministers, decried widespread arrests in Cuba and demanded that Internet access be fully restored in the island nation, which has recently been shaken by political unrest. Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Guatemala, Greece, Honduras, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Republic of Korea, and Ukraine, along with the US, released a unified declaration.

The declaration stated that they demand that the Cuban government respect the Cuban people's legally given rights and freedoms without fear of arrest or incarceration. They call on the Cuban government to release individuals who have been jailed for peacefully protesting. They want journalistic freedom and complete Internet access, which are essential for economies and societies to grow.

The peaceful protest occurred on July 11th

Tens of thousands of Cubans took part in peaceful marches across the country on July 11 in protest against the country's deteriorating living circumstances and demanded reform. They practised global freedoms of expression and assembly, as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and the European Convention on Human Rights, among others.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated that democracies around the world are coming together to support the Cuban people, calling on the Cuban government to respect Cubans' demands for universal human rights.

Last week, the Biden administration announced new penalties against a top Cuban military commander and a special police unit, threatening further measures if the government and its agents continue to use violence, repression, and human rights breaches against peaceful protesters. Hundreds of protestors have been detained. In a statement released on Thursday, President Biden said that this is just the beginning, the United States will continue to sanction individuals responsible for the persecution of the Cuban people.

Sanctions have produced serious problems for the country

During Donald Trump's presidency, a total of 243 additional sanctions against Cuba were enacted, with 55 of them enacted during the COVID-19 outbreak, all in addition to the continuing blockade. Under the present government of the United States of America, these have been continued in their entirety. The impact of the blockade's strengthening and this new batch of sanctions has produced serious challenges for the country in the export and import of food, medication, fuel, and spare parts for the energy system, resulting in power outages and causing problems in people's daily lives.