Economics
Cuba’s Protests Fanned by Worst Economic Crisis Since Fall of USSR
- Cubans are infuriated by continual power disruptions
- Nation diverting resources to deal with Covid-19 outbreak
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Cuba saw its largest street protest in decades Sunday as thousands marched demanding freedom and food. The deepest economic crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a spike in Covid-19 infections, power blackouts and increased use of social media all helped fan discontent with the 62-year-old communist regime.
The pandemic devastated the island’s economy. As tourism dried up, the economy shrank 11% in 2020, according to Economy Minister Alejandro Gil, its deepest slump since the early 1990s when the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe had deprived the nation of allies and trade partners.