Around a hundred people gathered this Saturday in Palma's Plaza de España to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the 11J protests in Cuba and demand the release of political prisoners.
The Plaza de España in Palma was adorned this Saturday in blue, white, and red. Around a hundred people, called by the Patria y Vida Baleares association, remembered the fifth anniversary of the 11J, the largest protests in Cuba since the Revolution. The event, which lasted nearly two hours, combined speeches, songs, and a minute of silence for those who died during the mobilisations of 2021.
Five years since 11J: memory and demand
On July 11, 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in the largest wave of protests in decades. They demanded political freedoms, economic improvements, and an end to repression. The authorities responded with mass arrests: more than 700 people were imprisoned, according to human rights organisations. Many remain imprisoned.
In Palma, attendees carried signs with the names of some of those prisoners. “Cuba does not forget” and “Freedom for political prisoners” were the most shouted slogans. “We cannot allow the world to forget them,” said one of the spokespeople for Patria y Vida Baleares.
The Cuban diaspora in Mallorca mobilises
The Cuban community in Mallorca is one of the most active in Spain. According to data from the INE, there are more than 2,000 Cubans residing on the island, although associations raise the figure to 3,000 counting those not registered. Many arrived in recent years fleeing the economic and political crisis.
“We are here because our family and friends continue to suffer. It is not just a memory; it is a demand for justice,” explained one of the organisers. The Palma gathering joined others in cities like Miami, Madrid, or Buenos Aires, where the Cuban diaspora also held similar events.
Patria y Vida Baleares: a voice from the islands
The Patria y Vida Baleares association, created in 2022, groups together Cubans residing in the Balearics and supporters of democratic demands in the Caribbean island. Its name refers to the anthem that became a symbol of the 2021 protests, composed by artists such as Yotuel Romero.
“From Mallorca, we want it to be known that the Cuban people do not give up. We will continue to raise our voices until all political prisoners are free and there is democracy in Cuba,” stated one of the board members. The event concluded with the reading of the names of the prisoners and a minute of silence.
For the residents of Palma, the gathering was an opportunity to closely understand a reality that often feels distant. “I found it very moving. Sometimes we are not aware of what is happening in other countries,” commented a Mallorcan passing through the square.
The organisation has already announced that it will continue to hold protest events and is preparing a new mobilisation for the next November 20, the anniversary of the start of the Cuban Revolution. Meanwhile, the 11J prisoners continue to wait for justice. Or, at least, not to be forgotten.
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