An unstoppable force, an immovable object

On November 15th, Cubans were prepared for what was supposed to be the largest anti-government protest in history. But instead of streets flooded in jubilant civil disobedience, we saw an empty Malecón, a quiet Paseo del Prado, and an extinguished grassroots movement.

As noted in my previous post, the Cuban government was aware of the protests planned for Monday and took early countermeasures against the organizers. On the Sunday afternoon prior, plainclothes police and pro-government supporters surrounded the home of Yunior García, who is widely seen as the leader of the movement, organized on Facebook under the title Archipiélago.

Believing that his incarceration was imminent, García fled to the Havana airport, and with $150 in his pocket, boarded a plane to Madrid. The Spanish government facilitated his escape while the Cuban government—which certainly could have clipped his wings—allowed him to fly across the Atlantic.

Yunior García during press conference in Madrid on November 18. Source: El País

Since then, Cuba has been quiet. With its leader in exile and its foot soldiers unwilling to confront Cuban police, the Archipiélago movement, which has been building throughout the year, has all but dissipated.

Is the momentum lost? Will protests flare up again in the near future? It's difficult to predict what's next, but here's round-up of news to shine some light:

New York Times: Playwright Is in Exile as Cuba Uses an Old Playbook to Quash Dissent

NBC News: 'Alive and well,' says Cuban protest leader Yunior García from Spain

[Spanish] CNN (video): "I was never going to be able to speak out in Cuba like I can in Spain"

[Spanish] El País: "I plan to return to Cuba once my work here is done"