Cuba makes arrests following protests over hurricane-induced blackout
The Cuban government has announced the arrest of multiple individuals following protests triggered by widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Rafael. The hurricane, which struck the western part of the Caribbean island on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, left the majority of the population without electricity for two days, with many areas still grappling with ongoing power cuts.
The protests, rare in communist Cuba, occurred across Havana and the central provinces of Mayabeque and Ciego de Avila. The government stated that those detained are facing charges that include assault, public disorder, and property damage. According to the prosecutor’s office, the individuals were arrested for acts of aggression against authorities and public officials during the demonstrations.
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The hurricane marked the second major power disruption in just weeks, following Hurricane Oscar, which left eight people dead and caused a national blackout. The outages and economic hardships have heightened tensions among Cuba’s 10 million residents, with power cuts and fuel shortages aggravating daily life. The government reports that while power has been restored to approximately half of Havana, other regions continue to face severe outages.
Human rights group Justicia 11J documented the arrest of over 10 people in Guanabacoa, near Havana, noting that the protests were largely peaceful. Separately, the Miami-based NGO Cubalex reported the detention of eight individuals in Encrucijada, central Cuba. These arrests are part of what Justicia 11J described as the “ongoing persecution of citizens protesting peacefully.”
Cuba’s energy infrastructure, dependent on eight aging coal-fired power plants and leased floating plants, has struggled under maintenance issues and systemic breakdowns, worsening during severe storms. President Miguel Diaz-Canel has reiterated that the government will not tolerate attempts to disrupt public order, reflecting concerns of rising instability amid the economic crisis.
The protests come against a backdrop of long-standing grievances, including power shortages and economic struggles, worsened by the U.S. trade embargo, which the UN General Assembly once again urged the United States to lift.
AFP
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