The Cuban government has sanctioned 381 people for participating in rare, anti-government
protests on the island last year. Thousands of Cubans took to the streets of the capital Havana
and other towns in July 2021 in protest over rising food costs, medical shortages, and dire
socio-economic conditions that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the 381 people sanctioned on Monday, a total of 297 have been sentenced to between five and
25 years in prison for crimes of sedition, sabotage, robbery with force, and public disorder, the
attorney general’s office said in a statement released to state media. The prosecutor’s office
noted that 84 individuals, including 15 young people, were not given prison sentences. However,
it warned that tougher sentences could be imposed for those who breached their sanctions or who
engaged in new criminal offenses. Cuba’s age of criminal responsibility is 16 years.
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