Early origins The first instance of something similar to an act of repudiation occurred in 1949 where journalist Alberto Rubiera and other leftist students pelted Spanish poets with rotten food in an "act of repulsion". In the 1950s politicians and intellectuals of various political leanings would be pelted with eggs by their opponents. These acts of political opposition were still uncommon as the governments of
Gerardo Machado and
Fulgencio Batista more relied on assassinations and torture. One of the first "acts of repudiation" occurred at the anti-Castro newspaper offices of '
Diario de la Marina' in June 1959. Trucks full of Fidelistas circled the building and began insulting the workers at the newspaper. Journalist Luis Conte Agüero would flee Cuba after being publicly harassed by Fidelistas in 1959. In 1961 he would tour Latin America and give public speeches denouncing the
Cuban Revolution only to be shouted down by Castro sympathizers in the audience. Before 1980 the government of
Fidel Castro relied more on institutional purges and televised shootings rather than acts of repudiation to solidify political power.
Mariel boatlift During the
Mariel boatlift the Cuban government ordered acts of repudiation against those who wished to emigrate from Cuba. In these acts mobs would target those deemed disloyal and beat them or force them to march around with an accusatory sign around their necks. These attacks would help solidify the image that those leaving in the boatlift were the undesirables of the island. It is believed at least three Cubans were killed in these mob attacks. The
Ministry of Justice organized public beatings and it was considered mandatory for officials to participate. This campaign of mob attacks would eventually lead certain Cuban officials to question government policies and in the late 1980s attempt to defect to the United States.
2000s–11J Protests In the 21st century, acts of repudiation have continued to be a method of public intimidation against dissidents, civil society actors, and family members of political prisoners. In November 2009, a crowd of government supporters confronted journalist Reinaldo Escobar, the husband of prominent dissident Yoani Sánchez, in Havana, which escalated into widescale mob violence against Escobar. Sánchez herself was also targeted by an act of repudiation during a public speaking appearance in 2013 in New York City after being given government permission to leave Cuba. The
Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco), a movement of female relatives of political prisoners, have frequently been harassed during their weekly marches. Following the protests of July 11, 2021 (11J), acts of repudiation were carried out against the families of detained demonstrators. In one documented case from November 2021, a group of pro-government civilians gathered outside the home of a protester, shouting slogans and insults in an act of repudiation against his family who spoke in favor of political prisoners. ==Method==