The First Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party (PCC) in Pinar del Río, Yamilé Ramos Cordero, had to face a citizen protest last Saturday, May 17, in the Hermanos Cruz neighborhood, known as "El Calero," in the capital city, where residents took to the streets with pots and slogans to express their dissatisfaction with the prolonged power outages.
The protesters, visibly upset, denounced the lack of electricity for several hours a day, amidst a wave of blackouts affecting much of the country.
In videos shared on social media, Ramos Cordero can be seen trying to contain the protest and engaging in dialogue with some of the participants.
One of the most tense moments was captured in a video shared by journalist José Raúl Gallego, where a local resident confronts the party leader, demanding an explanation for the unequal treatment in the distribution of power outages.
"Perhaps we are not, from this point of view, perhaps we are not the most affected, because we know that the neighboring municipalities are also affected. But from the Pinar del Río area, in the municipality of Pinar del Río, I believe that the P526 is one", he told the party leader.
The official had previously responded to concerns by saying that “they had to wait for the country to have oil to solve its problems”, a response that was met with boos and disappointment from those in attendance.
The discomfort in "El Calero" reflects a growing tension between the citizens and local authorities amidst a prolonged energy crisis that has affected up to 18 hours a day in some regions.
In Pinar del Río, multiple citizen reports agree that power outages have been particularly severe in certain circuits, fueling perceptions of arbitrariness and a lack of transparency.
So far, state media have not mentioned this protest, but the incident has sparked significant reactions on social media, where users expressed solidarity with the demonstrators and criticized the authorities' disconnection from the everyday reality of Cubans.
The scene experienced in Pinar del Río is reminiscent of what happened a year prior in Santiago de Cuba, where the first secretary of the PCC in that province, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, also tried to calm enraged citizens over the shortage of food and basic services.
During a protest in the Veguita de Galo neighborhood, the people of Santiago shouted “We don’t want a molar!” and “We want food!”, interrupting the speeches by Johnson from a rooftop and then on foot through the street.
In response to the demands, the official promised the distribution of three pounds of rice and four pounds of sugar, a measure that was met with skepticism by the protesters due to the severity of the food crisis impacting the region.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Energy Crisis in Cuba and the Protests in Pinar del Río
Why are there protests over blackouts in Pinar del Río?
The protests in Pinar del Río are due to the prolonged blackouts that have affected the community, lasting up to 18 hours a day in some areas. The population is frustrated by the lack of solutions and the perception of arbitrariness in the distribution of power outages.
What response have the Cuban authorities given to the energy crisis?
The authorities have attempted to justify the blackouts by citing fuel shortages and technical problems at the thermoelectric plants. The first secretary of the PCC in Pinar del Río, Yamilé Ramos Cordero, asked the population for patience until the country has more oil, which sparked discontent among the protesters.
How does the energy crisis affect the daily life of Cubans?
Prolonged blackouts severely impact the daily lives of Cubans, hindering basic tasks such as cooking, washing, and preserving food. The lack of electricity also disrupts essential services like water supply and education, increasing the frustration of the population.
What differences exist in the distribution of power outages in Cuba?
There are significant differences in the distribution of blackouts in Cuba, with some regions experiencing longer and more frequent power outages than others. Complaints about inequality in circuit rotation have led the Communist Party in Matanzas to take control of the electric load dispatch in an attempt to address these disparities.
Filed under:
