In addition, the Cuban government took an additional step in response to these peaceful protests:

Cutting the internet for the entire population of Cuba.

The BBC News wrote an article explaining the strategy behind the Cuban government's actions:

This prevents people from sharing information about the gatherings and claims of abuse against authorities known for their repressive tactics to silence criticism.

...

Facebook, the most popular social platform in Cuba, as well as WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram remained restricted by Etecsa's servers, according to monitoring site Netblocks.

ETECSA is the only phone & internet company on the island. But, this is not due to the U.S. embargo.

Any internet & phone U.S. company -such as AT&T or T-Mobile- can do business directly with Cuba.

The real problem is that the government wants to control all communications on the island. They want to see, hear, and know everything.

LoadingJulie Chung is the Acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.