Residents of the El Henequén neighborhood, located in Mariel municipality of Artemisa province, took to the streets on Friday night to protest after enduring over four consecutive days without electricity. This information was reported by Martí Noticias based on videos circulating on social media.
A local resident, who chose to remain anonymous, painted a stark picture of the situation: "The Cuban people can't take it anymore. People in my neighborhood, after being without electricity for four days, saw taking to the streets as their only means of defense. Protesting is the only way Cubans have to stand up for themselves."
The same resident detailed how El Henequén, a small fishing community, has long been neglected by authorities: "The schools, homes, and even the people are in deplorable conditions, and this was the only way the community could unite and fight to be noticed."
Capitol City Protests Echo Artemisa's Uprising
The protest in Artemisa wasn't an isolated incident. In the capital, Havana, residents of the Martín Pérez neighborhood in San Miguel del Padrón blocked the Vía Blanca on Friday night with pots and barricades to protest the prolonged power outages and the deteriorating living conditions.
Havana has witnessed several consecutive nights of protests, spreading across neighborhoods such as Centro Habana, Jaimanitas, Regla, Alamar, La Victoria, and Marianao.
Activist Mario Alberto Hernández Leyva informed Radio Martí that in Los Pocitos, Marianao, residents staged a pot-banging protest around eight in the morning on Friday due to the lack of electricity since the previous day.
Unprecedented Electrical Crisis Sparks Nationwide Anger
These protests occur amid Cuba's most severe electrical crisis in history, which dramatically worsened in July 2026. On July 10, the National Electric System experienced its fourth total blackout of the year—the eighth in 24 months—triggered by a failure in the 220 kV line between Santa Clara and Sancti Spíritus. Just two days earlier, a historic generation deficit of 2,341 MW was recorded, with only 935 MW available against a demand of approximately 3,200 MW.
In some areas, like Matanzas, power outages have lasted up to 87 continuous hours, while in Havana, blackouts average 15 hours daily.
Government's Response: Denial and Repression
Meanwhile, the regime has resorted to denial and repression. Minister Vinicio Marrero blamed the July 10 blackout on the U.S. embargo, avoiding any accountability for the structural collapse of the energy system. The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, merely stated, "No one here gives up."
The government has responded to the demonstrations with police deployments, arrests, and internet blackouts during an especially tense period, marking the fifth anniversary of the historic July 11, 2021, protests.
This Sunday, the Electric Union forecasted a mere 1,278 MW availability against a peak demand of 3,200 MW, predicting a shortfall of 1,922 MW—equivalent to 60% of the required energy—and an anticipated impact on 61% of total demand during peak hours.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What triggered the protests in Artemisa?
The protests in Artemisa were sparked by residents' frustration after enduring over four consecutive days without electricity, highlighting the broader crisis affecting Cuba's power supply.
How has the government reacted to the power outages?
The government has responded with denial and repression, blaming the outages on the U.S. embargo and deploying police to suppress the protests, while avoiding accountability for the energy system's structural failures.