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Opposition organizations like the
According to promoters of the protests, since Monday and up through noon on Tuesday 44 people had been arbitrarily arrested, including the leaders of Unpacu and the Ladies in White,
However, the color yellow and sunflowers are also traditionally associated both with the Virgen del
Thus, many have criticized the opposition for being opportunistic by trying to associate their protest with these symbols linked to "Cachita" - as Cubans lovingly call their patron saint - and to Oshun, the "orisha" or spirit in the Afro-Cuban Santeria belief system that symbolizes the Virgen del
A comment by
"Thanks Cachita for protecting ... #Fidel (Castro) and the Cuban Revolution. Oshun will not accept offerings of mercenaries and traitors," the lawmaker wrote on Twitter.
The remarks caused a stir on the social networks, where dozens of users criticized the legislator for politicizing and trying to appropriate a symbol of all Cubans, some saying that her words were "hypocritical."
"The Virgen de la Caridad is not partisan property, madam. She belongs to all Cubans, on or off the island, communists or not ..." wrote journalist
On Tuesday, Cuban President
"The Virgen de la Caridad is with the Cuban people in their hours of sacrifice and triumph. In the national soul, her image is adored as a symbol of hope and faith. Writers and poets, musicians and dancers have dedicated works to her," wrote the Cuban leader.
Controversy to the side, the celebration this year will be marked by the coronavirus pandemic and the calls for social distancing to limit the spread of the virus, and churches on the island will be closed and will not see their regular throngs of thousands of the faithful accompanying images of the Virgen del
Meanwhile, in
And from the top ranks of US society and politics, amid the contentious US presidential campaign, Democratic presidential candidate
The Cuban government, at the request of the island's episcopate, gave permission for the religious celebrations to be rebroadcast on state television and for the bishop of each diocese to be allowed to issue a message on local radio, according to a statement released by the
The main Mass that Santiago Archbishop
"We call for the motherly intercession of the Virgen de la Caridad among the entire Cuban people, especially for those who are suffering the consequences of Covid-19 and for those who need it most," said the bishops' statement.
So far, 4,377 coronavirus cases have been officially confirmed in
Estimates are that some 60 percent of the Cuban population of 11.2 million are Catholics on the basis of the number of baptized people, although the percentage of Cubans who attend Sunday Mass only amounts to about 2 percent and in recent years there has been a significant expansion in Protestant and evangelical churches on the island.
Relations between the
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