Protests against communism erupted in multiple neighborhoods across Havana, Cuba, during the night between Monday and Tuesday. Residents could be heard chanting “Down with communism!” and “Freedom!” as they faced the repressive forces of the Castro regime.
According to independent Cuban news sources, these protests were sparked by a 15-hour power outage in the capital, a situation that has become more frequent nationwide. In the past, the Castro government managed to shield the capital from such outages. Given that tourism is a major revenue source for the regime—bringing in billions—it’s essential for Havana to maintain reliable electricity. Unfortunately, years of neglect and poor infrastructure are finally taking a toll, affecting the tourism flow.
The blackout is just one sign of a broader societal collapse in Cuba, which began after the Soviet Union fell apart. This situation has been deteriorating since the 1990s, leaving Cubans grappling with decaying infrastructure, a failing medical system, and severe shortages of food and clean water. Protests have been a recurring theme for decades, but the most significant global attention came on July 11, 2021, when tens of thousands took to the streets.
The violent crackdown following those protests has led to an increase in civil unrest, often going unnoticed by mainstream media. On Monday and Tuesday, the streets of Havana were filled with demonstrators amid the darkness. While an exact number of participants remains unclear—the blackout made counting them difficult—the independent outlet Cubanet reported protests in various neighborhoods, such as Marianao and Regla. Residents were banging pots and pans and lighting bonfires, using leftover phone batteries to illuminate their surroundings.
A video believed to have been recorded by a local shows significant clashes with police. During one segment, a voice can be heard saying that protesters were throwing glass bottles at law enforcement. In a neighborhood known as Dies de Octubre, a nearby Catholic church chimed its bell in solidarity with the demonstrators.
Reports indicate that state security forces were dispatched to Marianao to try to disperse the crowds. Local journalist José Raúl Gallego commented on social media that the regime’s enforcers seemed reluctant to confront protesters, possibly because they share similar struggles and fears.
Participants in the protests were vocal, shouting slogans like “Freedom!” and “Overthrow Communism!” While the Castro government has had to acknowledge power outages and the country’s decline, it has consistently blamed the United States for these issues. A recent article from the Communist Party’s official publication described the power grid as “complicated,” attributing the problems to fuel shortages and lack of generators, while promising an expansion of solar energy in the future.
On a separate note, the publication also touted an achievement related to digitizing civil registry documents—an unusual boast for a country facing widespread blackouts. Over the past year, protests have surged across Cuba. The Cuban Conflict Observatory recently reported a record 1,326 individual protests in November alone, marking a notable increase from previous months.
As the number of protests has grown, so has government repression. According to the human rights organization Prisoners Defenders, the number of political prisoners in Cuba reached 1,192 by the end of November, with 19 new cases since October. Advocacy groups assert that ongoing repression is a tactic used by the regime to divert attention from the multiple crises—political, social, and health—that are affecting the population.
