EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 1 December 2022 — Cubalex reported this Wednesday that, so far, it has documented 26 incidents of repression during the elections for delegates to the municipal assemblies last Sunday.
According to the organization, these events occurred in at least seven provinces of the island, with the largest number, 12, concentrated in Havana.
The organization points out that, according to the data collected, “the Cuban authorities continue to use the criminal investigation procedures, provided for by law, as a repressive instrument.”
Likewise, Cubalex registered “13 incidents of harassment” with 34 victims, of which 20 were women and 14 were men.
Among the actions detected by the group is the obstruction of “political participation, arbitrary arrests, surveillance operations and selective internet cuts.”
According to the organization, the objective was mainly focused on preventing activists from being able to act as observers during election day.
It also added that the relatives of the demonstrators imprisoned for their participation in the 11 July 2021 (11J) protests “were threatened with the transfer of their children to remote prisons and with harming them in court if they made publications contrary to the elections.”
Last Sunday, Cuba held the municipal elections in which the highest percentage of abstentions was registered since 1959.
Preliminary data from the National Electoral Council (CEN) released on Monday show that 31.42% of the eligible voters did not go to the polls. This is a particularly high figure on the Island, which is used to participations above 85%.
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
