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Cuba

Cuban president urges country’s ‘revolutionary’ citizens to counter protesters

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, warned against a violent escalation

By Edmund DeMarche Fox News
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Thousands of Cubans took to the streets in Havana to lash out at the worsening conditions in the country under the communist regime – the biggest protest in decades – prompting the country’s president to call on "revolutionary" citizens to counter the protesters.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who also heads the Communist Party, addressed the country and blamed the U.S. for stoking the anger, according to the Washington Post. 

SOCIALIST SANDERS MUM ON PROTESTS

"The order to fight has been given – into the street, revolutionaries!" he said in an address, according to the BBC.

Cuba is going through its worst economic crisis in decades, along with a resurgence of coronavirus cases, as it suffers the consequences of U.S. sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. The country also reported 7,000 daily COVID-19 infections on Sunday and 47 deaths.

  • Image 1 of 5

    Plainclothes police detain an anti-government protester during a protest in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, July 11, 2021. Hundreds of demonstrators went out to the streets in several cities in Cuba to protest against ongoing food shortages and high prices of foodstuffs, amid the new coronavirus crisis. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  • People shout slogans against the government during a protest against and in support of the government, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
    Image 2 of 5

    People shout slogans against the government during a protest against and in support of the government, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

  • Image 3 of 5

    Police detain an anti-government demonstrator during a protest in Havana, Cuba, Sunday July 11, 2021. Hundreds of demonstrators went out to the streets in several cities in Cuba to protest against ongoing food shortages and high prices of foodstuffs, amid the new coronavirus crisis. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  • Image 4 of 5

    Backers of the government march in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, July 11, 2021. Hundreds of supporters of the government took to the streets while hundreds protested against ongoing food shortages and high prices of foodstuffs. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco)

  • Government supporters hold a photograph of Cuba's late President Fidel Castro during protests against and in support of the government, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
    Image 5 of 5

    Government supporters hold a photograph of Cuba's late President Fidel Castro during protests against and in support of the government, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, took to Twitter to say 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." 

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel is seen during a demonstration held by citizens to demand improvements in the country, in San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, on July 11, 2021. - Thousands of Cubans marched this Sunday, July 11, through the streets of the small town of San Antonio de los Banos in an unprecedented protest against the government, according to videos of fans posted on the internet. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP) (Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images)

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel is seen during a demonstration held by citizens to demand improvements in the country, in San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, on July 11, 2021. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP) (Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images)

Many of the protesters in the town of San Antonio de los Banos were young and hurled insults at Diaz-Canel. They shouted that they are "not afraid."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the son of a Cuban immigrant, took to Twitter on Sunday in support of the thousands of protesters.

Cruz reposted a video that claimed to show dozens in front of the Communist Party headquarters and said the current regime will be "consigned to the dustbin of history."

"It has brutalized & denied freedom to generations of Cubans, and forced my family & so many others to flee," he tweeted. "The American people stand squarely with the men & women of Cuba and their noble fight for liberty."

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In 2009, a year after Raul Castro formally replaced Fidel as Cuba’s president, Díaz-Canel became minister of higher education. In 2012 he rose to one of Cuba’s vice presidencies and soon thereafter was named first vice president.

DEM SOCIALISTS ALSO MUM ON PROTESTS 

"We are calling on all the revolutionaries in the country, all the Communists, to hit the streets wherever there is an effort to produce these provocations," Diaz-Canel said, according to Reuters.

Witnesses told the Post that tear gas was deployed and dozens of protesters were detained. The paper said there were multiple people wounded.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Edmund DeMarche is a senior news editor for FoxNews.com. Story tips can be sent to Eddie.DeMarche@fox.com and Twitter @EDeMarche.