As Cuba explodes, Cuban-Canadians accuse the Trudeau administration of turning a blind eye.
The gap between the Biden and Trudeau administrations on Cuba was wider this week than the straits that divide Havana and Key West. According to US Vice President Joe Biden, the United States "stands solidly with the Cuban people in their pursuit of universal human rights. And we urge the Cuban authorities to avoid using violence to suppress the voices of the Cuban people."
The rallies, which saw thousands of Cubans march through towns throughout the island, were described by Biden as a "clarion demand for freedom."
The statement expresses support for "the right to freedom of expression and assembly," but makes no mention of the Cuban dictatorship. Instead, it urges "all parties to defend this basic right."
"Global Affairs Canada urges all parties involved in the situation to exhibit caution and to participate in peaceful and inclusive discourse," the statement adds.
The phrase "both sides" jarred Cuban expatriate Michael Lima Cuadra, who fled to Canada as a political refugee in the 1990s and is now a member of Cuba's newly established Council for a Democratic Transition.
"The wording is extremely neutral," he pointed out. "And Desmond Tutu once said that if you choose to stay neutral during times of tyranny, you are siding with the oppressor."
