US imposed sanctions on Cuban police leadership for suppressing anti-government protests

The US authorities imposed sanctions against the leadership of the Cuban police in connection with the beating of peaceful demonstrators during anti-government protests in early July. Oscar Callejas Valkarse, the chief of police of Cuba, and his deputy, Eddie Sierra Arias, fell under the new restrictions. reported on the official website of the US Department of State.

According to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the US also plans to impose sanctions against those who support the Interior Ministry and the Cuban police.

“We will continue to take steps to hold accountable for human rights violations by the Cuban government. Today’s measures are aimed at continuing to hold accountable those who suppress Cubans’ calls for freedom and respect for human rights, ”he explained.

The restrictions against the heads of the Cuban police force were introduced by the United States as part of the “Magnitsky Act”, which implies imposing restrictions on citizens involved in human rights violations. Last week, US authorities also imposed restrictions on Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Minister Alvaro López Miera and the National Special Brigade.

“We recognize the courage of the Cuban people and the protesters who opposed the Cuban police state and sent a signal to the whole world,” Blinken said.

On July 11, several thousand people in Cuba protested against measures to combat COVID-19, the deteriorating economic situation and the suppression of civil liberties.

How transmitted BBC, protesters called for democracy, demanding to provide the country’s population with vaccines to fight the coronavirus. Also, according to the newspaper El Mundo, the protesters were outraged by the interruptions in the supply of electricity and food, chanting: “Freedom”, “Down with communism” and “We are not afraid.”

According to the opposition, the demonstrations were the largest since 1994. wrote Reuters, citing a statement from Michael Bustamante, Associate Professor of Latin American History at Florida International University.

At the same time, the adviser to the President of the United States on national security, Jake Sullivan, even then warned the Cuban authorities about the inadmissibility of harsh measures against the protesters.

“The United States supports freedom of expression and assembly nationwide and would strongly condemn any violence or attacks against peaceful protesters who exercise their universal rights.” wrote he’s on his Twitter page.

Protests have been reported in more than 20 cities across the island, according to the independent Cuban research site Inventario. In Havana, protesters blocked the city’s main streets and were pushed back by the police. There were recorded cases of the use of forceful methods by law enforcement officers. As reported by Reuters, security officials sprayed pepper gas and beat several protesters, including a photo correspondent for the Associated Press.

Later it became known that during the protest actions more than 100 people were arrested or missing. In addition, according to the Cuban Interior Ministry, one protester was killed in clashes with police.