LIVE UPDATES: Cuban president acknowledges some responsibility as protests continue
Until now, the Cuban government had only blamed social media and the U.S. government for the weekend protests, which were the biggest seen in Cuba since a quarter century ago, when then-President Fidel Castro personally went into the streets to calm crowds of thousands furious over dire shortages following the collapse of the Soviet Union and its economic subsidies for the island.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday called on President Joe Biden to help restore internet access to Cuba after it was shut down by the communist regime in an effort to clamp down on the spread of information amid protests that broke out on the island nation.
Since Sunday, thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets to oppose the communist government that has had a stranglehold on power for the last six decades. The country is going through its worst economic crisis in decades.
Dan Bongino explained why he disagrees with Black Live Matter's comments on protests in Cuba Thursday on "The Dan Bongino Show."
Republican lawmakers are slamming Black Lives Matter after the organization posted a statement that appeared to back Cuba’s communist government rather than the Cubans currently in the streets protesting. On Wednesday, Black Lives Matter released a statement condemning the United States for its embargo on Cuba and suggested it’s the reason for the current unrest in the streets.
Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Cori Bush of Missouri have yet to weigh in on Black Lives Matter declaring its support for Cuba's communist regime, even though the congresswomen have been vocal BLM supporters in the past.
Black Lives Matter sparked a backlash late Wednesday after posting a statement that blasted the U.S. embargo and praised Cuba's government.
"The people of Cuba are being punished by the U.S. government because the country has maintained its commitment to sovereignty and self-determination," the statement said. "United States leaders have tried to crush this Revolution for decades."
The State Department defended its head of Cuba policy, saying both the U.S. and Cuba are better for her service despite Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., claiming she was responsible for the Biden administration's "weak" response to how the Cuban government is treating its people.
In a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday, Rubio called on President Biden to take charge by leading the international community in pressuring the Cuban government to ease its crackdown on protesters.
The senator called the administration's response "weak" thus far, and asserted that this would not change as long as the current lead official on Cuba policy – Deputy Assistant Secretary Emily Mendrala – is in charge.
Fox News contributor Lara Trump told "Fox & Friends" Thursday that it is time to let Cubans live freely as protesters take to the streets to demand freedom from the communist dictatorship.
"It is time to give these people freedom in Cuba, period," Trump said. "I don't know anybody that disagrees with that…Everybody should be standing up alongside Cubans. But I hope we as Americans take this as a warning."
Pitbull, the Grammy-winning musician, took to Twitter on Wednesday to urge his 25 million followers to support the historic protests that have broken out in Cuba, which has been under communist rule for decades.
"We need to get creative, we need to figure out solutions while they’re [anti-government protesters] losing their lives over there, literally, for something that we wake up every day and appreciate, which is freedom," the singer, who is Cuban-American and whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, said.
He continued, "This isn’t about politics, it’s about saving lives," he said. "It is about unity, not division, and the bottom line is about taking action."
Hundreds of Cuban American protesters blocked a major expressway in Miami on Tuesday demanding President Biden do more to support the people of Cuba.
"We need Biden’s support," one man with a Cuban flag draped over his back told Fox News. "We haven’t gotten support from the president. So, we are trying to fight, to finish with the communism."
Black Lives Matter faced fierce criticism late Wednesday after posting a statement that blasted the U.S. and praised Cuba's government while the island was destabilized by historic protests and violent crackdowns.
The tweet blamed the U.S. embargo for the country's instability and credited the Cuban government for historically granting "Black revolutionaries" asylum.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who days ago called on revolutionaries to counter anti-government protesters in the streets, acknowledged Wednesday government shortcomings in the lead-up to the unrest in the country.
Live Coverage begins here