Caravan drives home Cuban anger at decades-old US embargo

HAVANA－Massive car and bicycle caravans crossed the country, and a regatta along the capital of Havana's seaside Malecon was held as Cubans demanded on Sunday the lifting of a six-decade-old embargo by the United States against their island nation.

In Santa Clara, located some 270 kilometers east of Havana, hundreds of masked drivers, cyclists and bikers gathered to make their way through the city.

"It is a clear demonstration the Cuban people support the socialist revolution and that the US blockade against the country must end," resident Diamela Lopez said.

Chanting patriotic slogans, blaring horns, and holding national flags, the participants finally reached the Che Guevara Mausoleum in the city.

Leonardo Fernandez, a 25-year-old medical student from Santa Clara, said the US embargo continues to harm the living standards of the Cuban people.

"The blockade has hindered Cuba's access to medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. "The US' unilateral policy toward the island affects our health system, our public transport network, and the society as a whole."

By Sunday, the country had reported 101,503 coronavirus cases and 591 deaths.

Hundreds of people also participated in car and bicycle caravans against the embargo in many other cities.

In addition, 40 yachts took part in an international regatta that navigated Havana's coastline while locals flooded social media with pictures taken from balconies and rooftops.

It is part of a world initiative in solidarity with the Cuban people which took place over the weekend in more than 50 countries, according to organizers.

First imposed in 1962, the embargo was intensified by former US president Donald Trump's administration, which banned US flights to Cuban cities except for Havana, barred US cruise ships from visiting the Caribbean nation, and limited remittances that Cuban Americans send to their families on the island.

Xinhua - Agencies