International students residing in the dormitories of the Santiago de Cuba Medical School staged a pot-banging protest on Saturday after enduring 24 straight hours without electricity. This event was captured in a video shared by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada.
The audio of the video captures the rhythmic clanging of pots and pans in the dormitories, where foreign students have joined a growing wave of protests that have been shaking the city for months.
This isn’t the first occurrence of foreign students at this institution rebelling against campus conditions. Back in 2019, Congolese and South African students protested due to poor food quality and frequent power outages, prompting the regime to deploy a police operation in response.
Worsening Energy Crisis Grips Santiago de Cuba
This protest is part of a broader energy crisis that has been affecting Santiago de Cuba for weeks. Since June 16, the local Electric Company has reorganized the power cuts into nine blocks, providing each area with only one or two hours of electricity daily—a promise the company struggles to fulfill.
On June 25, the electricity generation deficit hit an all-time high of 2,208 MW, leaving nearly 70% of the country without power simultaneously.
Currently, nine of Cuba's 16 thermoelectric units are out of commission, including the Antonio Guiteras plant, which has experienced its 17th breakdown in 2026.
Protests Spread Across the Island
Pot-banging protests have been ongoing in the eastern city for months. On July 2, nighttime demonstrations erupted in areas like Municipal, the 18-story buildings, Santa Úrsula, Hoyo de Chicharrones, and Reparto Portuondo.
In response, the regime has militarized Santa Úrsula Park and, on June 29, deployed armed black berets in Chicharrones.
The demonstrations have also reached Havana. Residents of La Lisa protested outside the Communist Party headquarters after more than 50 hours without electricity or water; pot-banging in El Cerro triggered a heavy police operation, and dozens of Regla residents took to the streets chanting, "We want to sleep with lights on; we want to live like humans."
In May 2026, the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts recorded 1,311 protests, marking the highest monthly number on record, with 1,133 in April—a 29.5% increase from the previous year.
Instead of offering solutions, President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded to the protests with a controversial remark in an interview with the Puerto Rican weekly Claridad.
"Go bang your pots at your northern neighbors, they're the ones keeping us in the dark," said Díaz-Canel, blaming the U.S. embargo as the structural energy collapse, resulting from decades of governmental mismanagement, leaves millions of Cubans without electricity, water, or food.
Understanding the Protests and Energy Crisis in Cuba
What triggered the pot-banging protest at the Santiago de Cuba Medical School?
The protest was triggered by international students enduring 24 consecutive hours without electricity in their dormitories.
How has the energy crisis affected Santiago de Cuba?
The energy crisis has led to severe power cuts, with each area receiving only one or two hours of electricity per day.
What is the Cuban government's response to the protests?
President Miguel Díaz-Canel has blamed the U.S. embargo for the situation, though the energy collapse is primarily due to long-standing governmental mismanagement.