thousands taking to the streets sunday across cuba protesting the lack of freedom and worsening economic conditions. cuba s president is defending his government today and blaming the united states for this unrest. while president biden upped the ante with this statement, we stand with the cuban people and their call for freedom. and relief from the tragic rip of the pandemic and from decades of repression and economic suffering. let s get perspective from a staff writer at the new yorker and our cnn global affairs analyst. the pictures are stunning. it s a challenge for the president now right here in our backyard. what can the biden administration, what should the biden administration do at this moment beyond the statement of support? well, you re right. it s a classic example of just when you least expect it, this is not at the top of the biden agenda. in fact, actually, on the campaign trail biden pledged to reverse trump s reversal of the obama policy, and possibly
upset. they are speaking out about this. bernie sanders who a year ago praised. steve: the socialist? ainsley: praised fidel castro what he has done for the kids and education and literacy program is he staying silent and makes people upset. steve: we haven t heard from joe biden yet either we have heard from the new york times. they tweeted this out. shouting freedom and other antigovernment slogan. so freedom is antigovernment slogans. hundreds took to the streets sunday to protest food and medicine shortages. in remarkable ecorruption in discontent not seen in nearly 30 years. so they say that freedom is an anti government slogan but they do not say what the state department did, which is it is key to covid. absolutely not. then another tweet. ainsley: an army ranger, his name is tim kennedy, and he said hey, new york times, you showed your hand here.
to refrain from violence after thousands of cubans took to the streets sunday in an incredibly rare public demonstration. people there are outraged over the country s coronavirus response and shortages of food and medicine. this morning, the cuban president said that the country s army would confront protesters, and he blamed the u.s. embargo for the shortge as. joining us now is havana freelance journalist, and also our msnbc journalist ed armandi, and so, ed, describe what you are seeing and hearing on the ground there? i have been here for eight years reporting, and i have never seen protests here in havana, and across the country, thousands of people out. in one protest in havana, people were ripping up the paving slabs, and throwing them at the