#Cubans make their voices heard

Cubans poured into the streets by the tens of thousands Sunday to protest the Communist government’s deadly failures, chanting “¡Ya no tenemos miedo!” and “¡Abajo la dictadura!” and “¡Libertad!”

“We’re no longer afraid.” “Down with the dictatorship.” “Freedom.” This was no mere complaint about the COVID toll, nor even the regime’s refusal to let international relief groups bring in food and medicine.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded by 1) blaming the United States, 2) shutting down the Internet and 3) ordering police to open fire on the demonstrations and start “disappearing” top dissidents.

President Joe Biden on Monday . . . issued a perfectly fine statement: “We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime.”

Live remarks would have sent a stronger message, but maybe he didn’t want to step on his anti-crime theme for the day.

What if the people have lost their fear, and keep up the demonstrations despite Diaz-Canel’s bloody crackdown? The White House better be figuring out what it can do (beyond more press releases) to quietly help neighbors struggling for freedom.