Nancy Pelosi expresses support for Cuban protests

Over the weekend, widespread protests in Cuba occurred, with citizens seeking change from their government. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently expressed her support for the protests, making her the latest lawmaker to back the calls for change by the public.

Pelosi took to Twitter to voice her support for Cuban citizens, who are in the midst of anti-government protests towards the regime. The recent protests mark the largest in decades. The citizens’ protests against the country’s economic crisis, along with food and medicine shortages that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pelosi’s comments also follow the remarks of US President Joe Biden, who also showed support towards the protests.

“The call for freedom and basic rights by the people of Cuba peacefully taking to the streets and marching is an act of great courage,” tweeted Pelosi. “I support the Cuban people in their pursuit of liberty and condemn any violence or targeting of those exercising their rights.”

In Biden’s remarks, he urged the Cuban government to listen and meet the needs of its people. However, his counterparts in the country appear to be unswayed and even pinned the blame on the US for the country’s economic crisis. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel accused the US of stirring dissent through the economic sanctions imposed on Cuba by Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.

Trump’s imposing of economic sanctions happened to follow former President Barack Obama’s attempts to re-establish economic and diplomatic ties with Cuba. Diaz-Canel said that the trade embargo led to the Cuban people’s “economic asphyxiation” while demanding that the US lift the sanctions against Cuba.

Meanwhile, the lineup of Pelosi’s select committee to investigate the Capitol insurrection last January 6 has yet to be completed. Pelosi has already named eight members of the 13-member panel, with the remaining five would be in consultation with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy. To note, Pelosi remains to have the final say on who McCarthy could recommend.

McCarthy said Tuesday that he has not yet decided on which Republicans he would nominate to the panel. In the voting of the select committee, only two Republicans voted in support of forming the panel: Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger. Pelosi has appointed Cheney to the panel. Again, McCarthy accused the House Speaker of “playing politics” with the select committee.