Protests against Cuba's communist Castro regime continued Monday amid near-endless power outages made worse by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck Cuba's southeast coast on Sunday.
Cuba's power grid is barely operational after more than 60 years of communist mismanagement, but it is fully operational folded On October 18th, I left the country without power for several days.
Castro's authorities managed to restore power after repeated failed attempts, but the grid was left in an even worse condition than before the collapse, exacerbating an already inhumanely long power outage. Hurricane Rafael made landfall last week caused another nationally power outagepower outages will continue throughout the weekend in some areas of Cuba.
Already dramatic situation in the island nation It got worse on the next Sunday Magnitude 6.8 The earthquake struck the southern coast, 120 kilometers west of the city of Santiago de Cuba, damaging homes and other infrastructure. According to According to government officials, no deaths were reported, but an unspecified number of people were injured in the quake. As of Monday, local governments reportedly Registered There were 885 aftershocks after Sunday's earthquake.
The power outage caused Cubans to gather peacefully in the streets again over the weekend. protest against communism. system answered He warned that he would not tolerate “public disorder” and threatened to detain protesters.
separate outlet 14 years old Medio reported On Monday, it announced that at least 23 people have been arrested in protests since the country's power grid collapsed on October 18. 14 years old MedioSince October 18, 68 protests have been registered, 12 of which took place in the last week after Hurricane Rafael made landfall.
The report said eight of the known arrests took place between Thursday and Friday in the city of Encrucihada. Jose Gabriel Barrenchea Chavez 14 years old Medio The poster was also among those detained. The outlet reported that his family has not informed him of his current situation since Friday.
Office of the Attorney General of Cuba announced On Saturday, an unspecified number of demonstrators in Havana, Mayabeque, and Ciego de Avila were charged with “assault, public disorder, and damages” for allegedly “acts of aggression” against regime authorities and inspectors. It was announced that the process had begun.
“We are working to investigate and conclude the criminal case for submission to court,” the statement said. “Acts of this nature run counter to the self-sacrificing and cooperative attitude of all those who are dedicated to the task of rebuilding the country under the current circumstances.”
The Cuban private organization Justicia 11J responded to the attorney general's statement on Sunday: press release where is the group expressed The government expressed concern over the arrests and linked criminal proceedings against the protesters to threats issued by President Miguel Díaz Canel, the figurehead of the communist regime, in October, shortly after the collapse of Cuba's power grid. At that time, Diaz Canel blackmailed Arresting people who protested against the communist regime.
“We are also concerned about the course of criminal proceedings that have been initiated, as since 2021 the sentences of those arrested in previous protests have been extended to more than 20 years in prison in some cases,” the statement said. It is written. “Once again, we reject the arrest of citizens who take to the streets to defend their legitimate right to a dignified life, and whose welfare remains the priority of the state, government agencies and their employees.”
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.