Public discontent demonstrations increase in Cuba.

The Cuban Observatory of Conflicts (OCC) documented a significant increase in popular discontent in Cuba during September 2024, a month in which 855 protests and public complaints were recorded.

The figure represents a 19.18% increase compared to the 691 recorded in August, a rise that occurs in a context of economic and social crisis characterized by power outages of up to 20 hours and a severe water shortage, which have led Cubans to take to the streets to demand solutions, details a report from the entity published this Tuesday.

Most of the protests, nearly 80%, are related to Economic and Social Rights, covering critical issues such as health, public services, and security, highlights the OCC document.

It adds that discontent has grown, reflecting a population tired of repressive measures and ineffective management of the economy.

In September, 167 protests were triggered by the public services crisis, where electricity cuts exceed 12 hours a day in many towns and water shortages have become unsustainable.

In addition, violence and crime have increased, leading to 163 reports, a notable rise compared to August. Among these incidents, there are nine homicides and several femicides.

According to the report, social problems have also emerged strongly on the island, with a notable increase in reports of child labor, inadequate conditions in schools, and a rise in the consumption and sale of drugs.

The food situation is equally critical, with 115 complaints related to the shortage and inflation of basic products, which has led to dozens of complaints on social media and protests from mothers who claim to be suffocated by the country's situation.

The healthcare system, similarly affected, generated 73 protests in the ninth month of the year, many related to the lack of resources and a saturated system in the face of the threat of diseases. Housing conditions have also worsened, with an increase in complaints about collapses and precarious conditions, leaving many families vulnerable.

Meanwhile, repression continues, with 92 documented acts against opponents, activists, and journalists.

However, 82 challenges to the police state have also been reported, including pot-banging protests and blockades in several cities.

"There is no light, no water, no food, no transportation, no medicine... If what we see every day in our neighborhood is The Revolution, then we will have to make it again," said Gustavo Arcos Fernández-Britto, a university professor, summarizing the distressing situation of the country described in the OCC report.

Reports from independent journalists on social media talk about a crisis in all sectors. In Santiago de Cuba, reporter Yosmany Mayeta has documented several landfill burnings by the population as a sign of protest against the garbage crisis in the city.