{"id":245911,"date":"2021-11-17T14:52:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T19:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=245911"},"modified":"2021-11-17T14:57:46","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T19:57:46","slug":"a-wintry-and-apparently-calm-n15-in-havana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/a-wintry-and-apparently-calm-n15-in-havana\/","title":{"rendered":"A wintry and apparently calm N15 in Havana"},"content":{"rendered":"

The early morning hours found <\/span>Havana<\/span><\/a> with gray skies this Monday, November 15, a day that has generated many expectations inside and outside the island. A cold front, with its wintry clouds and a light intermittent drizzle, overcame the sun and made up daily life in the Cuban capital, the day that Cuba reopened its borders on a large scale and an opposition march was called.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Havana, November 15, 2021. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even with the omens that surrounded the day, the city looked calm, as <\/span>OnCuba<\/b> was able to verify in a tour of several Havana municipalities such as Cerro, Centro Habana and Old Havana. People in the streets, lines in stores, open schools and medical institutions, urban transportation and state institutions operating normally, was the landscape until this noon in the areas visited, and neither was a large police deployment visible. Just some police officers organizing lines, as usual, or standing on corners, alone or in pairs, or a patrol car in strategic places in the city, but nothing similar to the days after July 11.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Havana, November 15, 2021. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Havana, November 15, 2021. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Havana, November 15, 2021. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In contrast, the Spanish agency EFE, after visiting \u201cstreets near the National Capitol, El Prado, the neighborhood of El Vedado and others further away from the city center such as La Lisa\u201d reported a \u201cstrong police presence\u201d and patrols and agents guarding the streets. It also reported that \u201cin some homes white sheets could be seen, spread out in response to the initiative of the Archipi\u00e9lago opposition platform, which asked that they be hanged in support of the march,\u201d something that we also did not see significantly on our tour.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, in keeping with recent days, Cuban flags could be seen on some balconies and portals, and also in work centers, while music was played in various parks and in other places, such as on a street near the intersection of Infanta and Zanja avenues, there were state outlets selling bread and jams. Some cafeterias and other private establishments were also open, such as the cell phone repair shops on Avenida Carlos III. People were dressed in any color and there were no concentrated groups dressed in white or red, or demonstrating in favor of a certain political trend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Passers-by asked by <\/span>OnCuba<\/b> during the tour said they were leading a normal life this Monday, although more than one was concerned that \u201csomething might happen\u201d in the city, and a mother confessed that she had preferred not to send her son to school and that she probably wouldn\u2019t do it for a few days until she was sure that \u201call is quiet.\u201d Others, on the other hand, affirmed that they did not believe that events such as those of July 11 would now be repeated and referred to the current difficult economic situation in the country and the constant increase in prices as their most pressing concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Havana, November 15, 2021. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Havana, November 15, 2021. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Havana, November 15, 2021. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a Sunday marked by the failed attempt to march by activist and playwright Yunior Garc\u00eda \u2014 prevented from leaving his home by forces and supporters of the government \u2014 and by pro-government cultural and youth activities in different parts of Havana, until noon of this Monday there appeared to have been no attempted opposition march or other incident or confrontation in the streets. However, activists have denounced that they are subject to police surveillance and harassment by government supporters, who have carried out \u201cacts of repudiation\u201d and seek to prevent them from marching as planned, while on the social networks there have been messages from diverse people against the realization of these acts.<\/span><\/p>\n