As protests erupt anew in Cuba over energy and food shortages, calls are growing for the military to side with the people and for the Communist regime to come to an end after more than 60 years. Hundreds of people on Sunday took the streets in eastern Cuba, primarily Santiago, though there were reports of protests in a number of other parts of the island. The protests came after weeks of rolling blackouts, compounding frustrations of food shortages and inflation.
Fragela argued that the movement to call out the military is an important initiative because 'it’s coming from all kinds of diverse sectors of Cuban civil society from artists to ex-military officers.' She said the protests signified cracks in the wall. If they continue, even sporadically, Fragela said, 'we will see an end to the longest dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere.' The U.S. Embassy urged the Cuban government to respect the protests in a post on its Facebook page.