The night of May 21 was the scene of new protests in eastern areas of Cuba, driven by prolonged blackouts and the growing scarcity of food in the country.
Residents of the Micro 9 neighborhood in Santiago de Cuba took to the streets amid a power outage to demand changes in the country, according to independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta.
All of this happened after a Round Table on television, in which the regime attempted to justify the energy crisis. However, thousands of people could not see those arguments because they had been without power for over 24 hours.
The shouts of "electricity" and "food" heard in the videos are yet another demonstration of the desperation felt by the Cuban people. The demands directed at the government echoed in the darkness, reflecting the frustration that has built up in a population suffocated by economic crisis and political repression.
The protests also spread to the city of Bayamo, in the province of Granma. According to testimonies shared on social media by the activist Idelisa Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia.
Residents of the Jabaquito neighborhood blocked a bridge in protest, prompting the intervention of police patrols. Additionally, gatherings were reported in an area known as "20 de Siboney," also in Bayamo.
In response to the protests, the regime repeated its usual strategy of cutting off internet access to prevent the spread of demonstrations, militarized the conflict zones, and activated its "cyber army" on social media, spreading images of supposed normalcy in Bayamo.
Cubans are aware of the government's efforts to silence public discontent. Despite the repression, people took to the streets to protest. The spontaneous demonstrations, driven by unmet basic needs, reflect the worsening social and economic collapse facing the island.
The eastern regions, historically more impoverished, are being severely affected by shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, along with increasingly prolonged power outages. So far, the government has not issued any official statements regarding what has occurred in Santiago de Cuba and Bayamo.
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