The rare anti-government protests in Communist Cuba had sparked series of controversies that increased tensions between the US and Cuba. In the latest development, the Cuban embassy in Paris said that its building had been attacked with Molotov cocktails, causing damage but no injuries to diplomatic staff. The Communist regime has blamed the US for this attack.
Cuban Foreign Ministry Posts the Footage on Twitter
The Cuban foreign ministry on Tuesday released a footage of petrol bombs being hurled at the embassy in Paris.
A person wearing a dark colored top with light colored pants can be seen in the footage throwing a Molotov cocktail towards the compound of the embassy on Monday night (July 26). Another individual can be seen throwing the flammable object towards the building.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry's International Press Center later said the attack occurred around midnight when three Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy, including two that started a fire, reported DW News.
According to the French AFP news agency, Paris firefighters said they were alerted to the attack shortly after midnight, adding that the two incendiary devices, which caused minor damage, were extinguished before their arrival.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Shifts the Blame on the US
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called it a "terrorist attack". Through Twitter, he criticized the US and directly blamed Washington for orchestrating this attack. In a tweet, he wrote, "I hold the US government responsible for its continuous campaigns against our country that encourage these behaviors and for calls for violence, with impunity, from its territory."
What Did France's Foreign Ministry Say?
France's foreign ministry condemned the attack on the Cuban embassy, adding that a judicial investigation had been opened to try and determine who was behind it. It confirmed that there had been some material damage but no injuries.
Unprecedented Protests Shook the Island on July 11 and 12
Over the past three weeks, Cuban embassies in several cities around the world have been the scene of demonstrations both against and in support of Cuba's government in reaction to protests that erupted across the country on July 11 and 12.
Thousands of anti-government protestors marched through major cities demanding the resignation of President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic by the government, economic crisis and curbs on civil liberties were some of the reasons for the protests.
The foreign ministers of the United States and 20 other countries on Monday condemned mass arrests in Cuba and called for full restoration of Internet access in the island nation that has recently been rocked by political unrest. Democracies around the world "are calling on the Cuban government to respect Cubans' demands for universal human rights," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
