What We're Watching: The streets of Cuba

What We're Watching: The streets of Cuba
Protesters shout slogans against the government during a demonstration, which also involved counter-protesters who are in support of the government, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021.
REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghin/File Photo

Cuban protest. For months, Cuban activists and dissidents have been planning a fresh, island-wide, anti-government protest. Well, the day is November 15, and the stakes are high. The Cuban regime, which has refused to issue permits for any marches, says it will not tolerate any unrest, and has accused the US of being behind the demonstrations. Back in July, you might remember, Cuba witnessed the biggest anti-government protests in decades, as popular anger over shortages, poverty, and political repression boiled over into the streets. Since then some 1,200 people have been arrested, with roughly half of them languishing in jail while awaiting trial on charges of sedition or sabotage that carry sentences of up to 25 years. We're keeping an eye not only on what happens in Cuba, but also on how the Biden administration responds. The US president will be under immense pressure from the powerful Cuban-American constituency in Florida, as well as Republicans more broadly, to impose tougher sanctions on the island. But there's an argument that the interests of the Cuban people might be better served by doing just the opposite.

More from GZERO Media

A casket carrying the body of murdered Podemos lawyer Elvino Dias leaves the Paroquia Nossa Senhora do Rosario church during his funeral, in Laulane township, in Maputo, Mozambique, October 23, 2024.
REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

The resource-rich Southern African nation of 35 million is on a knife’s edge this week, awaiting official results of the Oct. 9 presidential and parliamentary elections.

- YouTube

Ian Bremmer delivered his highly anticipated 2024 State of the World speech on October 23 in Tokyo. Each year, he takes a look at the biggest geopolitical moments of the year and shares an honest assessment of where we are and where we’re headed.

Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen speaks about her key priorities for the 2024 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank during a press conference in Washington DC, USA, on October 22, 2024, at the Department of Treasury Headquarters.
(Photo by Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto)

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank released their much-watched World Economic Outlook on Tuesday, projecting that the world economy will grow by 3.2% in 2025 as inflation cools to an average of 4.3%.

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, whom Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump has endorsed in the race to be the state's next governor, speaks before his arrival for a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S., March 2, 2024.
REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

When Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5, they’ll vote for more than just the next president.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a welcoming ceremony for participants of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia October 22, 2024.
REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

For an “isolated” world leader with a global arrest warrant to his name, Vladimir Putin is throwing a pretty decent party this week. Russia is hosting a summit of the BRICS+, a loose grouping of Global “South” countries led by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

In the last year, the cyber threat landscape continued to become more dangerous and complex. The malign actors of the world are becoming better resourced and better prepared, with increasingly sophisticated tactics, techniques, and tools that challenge even the world’s best cybersecurity defenders. Microsoft published its 5th annual Microsoft Digital Defense Report sharing insights and trends from cyberattacks between July 2023 and June 2024. Explore the findings here.

Walmart is fueling American jobs and strengthening communities by investing in local businesses. Athletic Brewing landed a deal with Walmart in 2021. Since then, co-founders Bill Shufelt and John Walker have hired more than 200 employees and built a150,000-square-foot brewery in Milford, CT. Athletic Brewing is one of many US-based suppliers working with Walmart. By 2030, the retailer is estimated to support the creation of over 750,000 US jobs by investing an additional $350 billion in products made, grown, or assembled in America. Learn more about Walmart’s commitment to US manufacturing.