Residents of the José Martí Urban Center in Santiago de Cuba, near the Polivalente Hall, took to the streets this Thursday to call for electricity, food, and freedom. This protest is yet another example of the desperation caused by the energy crisis in Cuba's second-largest city.
Videos shared on Facebook by user Yurisleidis Remedios capture a group of people shouting slogans. A woman's voice clearly identifies the location and summarizes the demands: "We want electricity here at the Polivalente stop, freedom for the Cuban people, we demand change, food for our children, down with the dictatorship."
Chants of "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!" echo through the crowd, with reports also suggesting the presence of repressive forces, as someone shouts, "The red berets have arrived!"
Surge of Protests Amid Ongoing Crisis
This demonstration is the latest in a series of protests that have been shaking Santiago de Cuba since March 2026. On June 5th, residents of Micro 2 resorted to banging pots and pans after enduring over ten days without power due to a damaged transformer.
Prior to this, on May 30th and 31st, similar protests occurred in Micro 3 and El Salao, with tire burnings in Los Pinos and a deployment of "black berets" across the city. May 18th saw daylight protests in Santiago's historic center, at the intersection of San Pedro and Martí, near Céspedes Park.
On March 15th, the José Martí District witnessed protests in Micro 9, with slogans like "Down with the dictatorship!" and garbage fires.
Power Crisis Intensifies Public Outcry
The root cause is a severe electrical crisis. According to the Electric Union's data from Friday, the system's availability was a mere 980 MW against a demand of 2,500 MW, with 1,522 MW of power deficits. On Thursday, the peak shortage hit 2,080 MW at eight p.m.
In Santiago de Cuba, the situation remains dire. A local Electric Company executive admitted on June 1st that they often couldn't guarantee even two hours of electricity per day.
The slogans chanted on Thursday night — blending demands for services, food security, and political change — follow a pattern seen in other recent protests, where the energy crisis serves as a catalyst, quickly escalating to political demands.
Nationwide Unrest and Growing Discontent
Nationally, the Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 1,311 protests across the country in May and 1,245 in March, showing a sustained upward trend. This reflects the populace's exhaustion after 67 years of dictatorship and an economy on the brink of collapse.
Understanding the Protests in Santiago de Cuba
What triggered the recent protests in Santiago de Cuba?
The protests were primarily triggered by a severe energy crisis, with ongoing power shortages and unmet demands for electricity, which in turn highlighted broader issues such as food security and political freedom.
How has the energy crisis affected daily life in Santiago de Cuba?
The energy crisis has drastically affected daily life, with residents often receiving less than two hours of electricity per day, disrupting essential services and exacerbating the already challenging living conditions.
What are the broader implications of the protests across Cuba?
The protests highlight a widespread dissatisfaction with the government and are indicative of a population increasingly unwilling to tolerate the longstanding issues of dictatorship and economic collapse.