And confrontation between dozens of people from the Sepen settlement, near El Salado beach, in Artemisa, and a group of soldiers, including police, prevention troops and special troops brigadescame Monday after authorities thwarted an attempt to leave the country.
According to local residents consulted by DIARIO DE CUBA, the inhabitants of the community went out in protest and cut the Pan-American Highwaywhich connects that area of the north west coast of the Island with Havana.
When he arrived at the place repressive devicesome of those present attacked them with stones while the uniformed officers made arrests and used dogs to restrain them.
In videos from the place you can see when some people struggle with the military and seize the tonfa from at least one police officer. Also a group of soldiers drags a civilian on the ground while a woman beats one of the repressors.
According to activist living abroad Albert Fonse, there are six detainees for those events. Three of them would be Rafael Fernández Estupiñan, Eidis Jardines Rodríguez and Daylín Fuentes. DIARIO DE CUBA has no confirmation of this information.
After what happened, several of the neighbors exchanged with police and authorities. In the video of that dialogue, an individual is heard stating that “If they don’t want us because we are an illegal community, if we don’t fit in this country because our salaries are not enough to buy in stores in hard currency, if there is no oil for the thermoelectric plants to work, we decide with our lives what we want “.
In reference to the raft seized by the authorities, he indicated that “when they find an artifact there are 15,000, 30,000, 100,000, 300,000 pesos from each family unit to be able to leave. We don’t want to go against you, we don’t want those people to come and attack us and we have to have this response. We are simply Cubans.”
“Allow us to make a decision with our lives, that in the end you cannot take care of what you no longer have how. We don’t have a way to buy a glass of milk because it’s in hard currency, we don’t have a way to buy a pair of shoes because it’s in hard currency (…) we are a humble people who are not stealing anything.”
At that moment, the attendees interrupted the individual to applaud him.
“You don’t have a way to take care of us, because right now there is no current and my daughter is being bitten by mosquitoes. If dengue catches me, what do I do, an eight-month-old girl. However, when I pass by the houses of the high leaders they have power, they have a plant”denounced.
“Don’t attack us when we are making a boat, when they should give us a medal”he emphasized.
The area of El Salado and Playa Baracoa is an area of frequent departures from the country. In previous months there have been clashes between border guards and rafters in similar situations.