2021
The 11J protests
Thousands of Cubans protest shortages and repression on July 11. The anthem “Patria y Vida” gives voice to a generation's demands.
On July 11, 2021 — remembered as 11J — thousands of Cubans poured into the streets in cities and towns across the island in the largest anti-government protests in decades.
A spontaneous uprising
Driven by crushing shortages, blackouts, a pandemic-battered health system, and decades of repression, ordinary Cubans chanted for freedom and against the government. The protests were largely spontaneous and nationwide, spread in part through mobile internet that had only recently become widely available.
Crackdown and an anthem
The state responded with mass arrests, long prison sentences, and internet shutdowns. The song "Patria y Vida" — a defiant answer to the revolution's old slogan "Patria o Muerte" — became the anthem of a generation demanding change.
Why it matters
11J shattered the image of a quiet, compliant population and revealed deep discontent. It marked the arrival of a new generation of Cubans, online and unafraid, willing to voice demands their parents could not.