Hundreds of people took to the streets this Sunday in Santiago, one of Cuba’s largest cities, to protest against the blackouts and lack of food, according to official reports. The protests led Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to call for dialogue in an “atmosphere of tranquility and peace”.
According to several videos posted on social media, protesters shouted “energy and food”, protesting the daily blackouts that last for 18 hours or more, putting food at risk.
Since the covid-19 pandemic, Cuba has entered an unprecedented economic crisis, which has led to a huge shortage of food, fuel and medicine, leading to the departure of more than 400,000 people to the United States.
Diaz-Canel confirmed the protest in Santiago through the social platform X: “Several people expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation of the electrical service and food distribution,” he wrote on the social network.
“The willingness of the Party, State and Government authorities is to respond to the complaints of our people, listen, dialogue, explain the numerous efforts that are being made to improve the situation, always in an environment of tranquility and peace”, he added.
The Cuban president also accused alleged “terrorists” from the United States of trying to generate new revolts: “This context will be taken advantage of by the enemies of the Revolution, for destabilizing purposes.”
According to the state agency CubaDebate, the police managed to “control the situation” in Santiago and “avoid violence”. So far, there is no information about possible arrests associated with the protests and videos circulating on social media suggest that the demonstration was peaceful.
According to an official from the Santiago Communist Party, the protesters were “respectful” and listened “carefully” to the government’s explanations about the shortages of food and electricity.
The US embassy in Havana said it was monitoring protests in Santiago and elsewhere and called, through X, on the Cuban government to respect “the human rights of protesters” and meet “the legitimate needs of the Cuban people”.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez criticized the US Embassy’s comments on Sunday and blamed the trade embargo and US-imposed sanctions for Cuba’s “acute economic situation.”
“The US Government, especially its embassy in Cuba , must refrain from interfering in the country’s internal affairs and inciting social disorder”, accused Rodriguez through X.
Cuba is facing several power cuts due to work at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest on the island. In 2022, Cuba recorded a drop in energy production, following Hurricane Ian.
It is also recalled that, in 2021, Cuba registered a wave of anti-government protests – the largest since Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959 – and hundreds of protesters were arrested and sentenced, after the Cuban Government declared that those detained were guilty of aggression, vandalism and sedition.
Human rights groups, the European Union and the United States criticized Cuba’s reaction to the protests, considering it heavy-handed and repressive.
