Protest erupts in eastern Cuba amid blackouts, shortages

Hundreds in Cuba’s second-largest city, Santiago, engaged in a rare public protest on Sunday, according to social media and official reports, prompting Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to call for dialogue in an “atmosphere of tranquillity and peace”.

Protesters in Santiago took to the streets with chants of “power and food”, according to videos posted on social media, as blackouts in places extended for 18 hours or more a day, jeopardising frozen food and ratcheting up tensions on the island.

Cuba has fallen into a near unprecedented economic crisis since 2020, with vast shortages of food, fuel and medicine stoking a recordbreaking exodus that has seen upwards of 400,000 people migrate to the United States.

Diaz-Canel confirmed the Santiago protest on X, shortly after the rally concluded.

“Several people have expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation of electrical service and food distribution,“Diaz-Canel said. “The disposition of the authorities of the Party, the State and the Government is to attend to the complaints of our people, listen, dialogue, explain the numerous efforts that are being carried out to improve the situation, always in an atmosphere of tranquillity and peace.”

Diaz-Canel also said “terrorists” from the United States were seeking to foment further uprisings.

“This context will be taken advantage of by the enemies of the Revolution, for destabilising purposes,” Diaz-Canel said on X.

Police had arrived in Santiago to “control the situation” and to “prevent violence”. – Reuters