Protesters clashed with authorities at the Communist Party headquarters in Moron, Cuba, overnight. Video footage reveals a chaotic scene: demonstrators ransacked the building and attempted to ignite it, while gunshots could be heard amid the unrest. One man was seen lying on the ground, raising concerns that he might have been shot. Cuban state media, however, later disputed reports of casualties, stating that police had arrested five individuals.
A gathering crowd voiced their demands for “Libertad, Libertad!”—which means “Freedom!” in Spanish—just before the shots rang out. In the chaos, a young man was heard crying out that someone had been shot. The footage later showed people assisting an injured individual away from the area.
Another clip captured a large group marching through the darkened streets of Moron before the situation escalated at the Communist Party headquarters. Moron, located about 400 miles east of Havana, is near the popular tourist destination of Cayo Coco.
State-controlled media attempted to downplay the incidents, insisting on X that no one was harmed by police fire. They warned against what they termed media manipulation aimed at spreading fear.
Reports suggest that tensions have been rising in Cuba amid ongoing power outages, food shortages, and a general economic downturn. Last week, protests erupted as residents in Havana began banging pots and pans in response to the electricity shortages.
The recent blackout across the island was reportedly caused by a malfunction at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, the largest in Cuba. Fuel shortages have compounded the crisis. The Trump administration has taken steps to limit oil shipments to Cuba, notably from Venezuela, a significant supplier.
Cuban officials contend that U.S. sanctions have aggravated their economic struggles, highlighting recurrent power plant failures and an aging electrical grid as major contributors to the widespread outages and public unrest.
Initial reports from state-run media indicated that the protests began peacefully but escalated into vandalism targeting the local party office. Protesters allegedly damaged other state facilities, too, including pharmacies and a government market.
In a recent statement, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed talks with the U.S. government regarding the country’s dire energy situation, mentioning that Cuba had not received oil imports for several months, attributing this to the U.S. energy blockade. He noted that the island relies on a mix of natural gas, solar energy, and thermoelectric stations.
