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A total of 845 protests, complaints, and civic actions took place in Cuba during the month of July, according to data from the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts (OCC), released by the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC).
Of these manifestations, 209 were direct challenges to the police state, a figure that reflects the increasing confrontation between the citizenry and the repressive apparatus of the Cuban regime.
The report indicates that for the second consecutive month, the barrier of 200 bold actions against the authorities was surpassed. This type of protest—capable of provoking immediate repressive responses—constitutes the largest group recorded among civil and political rights. The protests in July also exceeded those documented in the same month of 2024 by 38%.
Among the triggering factors of this wave of discontent are the crisis in basic services such as electricity, water, and public health; the outrage generated by official statements such as those made by the then Minister of Labor, Marta Elena Feitó, who denied the existence of beggars in the country; and the repressive operations to prevent commemorations of July 4 and the anniversary of the mass protests of July 11, 2021 (11J).
State repression provoked 170 additional protest actions, such as social media complaints and clashes during police operations.
One of the repressive focuses was the police cordon against activists, journalists, and opponents to prevent their participation in the celebration of Independence Day in the U.S. at the residence of chargé d'affaires Mike Hammer.
On July 11, the date marking the fourth anniversary of the historic protests of 2021, was similarly marked by detentions, communication blackouts, acts of repudiation, and massive police presence in the streets.
The socioeconomic context also fueled discontent: blackouts lasting up to 30 hours in provinces such as Matanzas, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguín, along with a cumulative inflation of 77% since the Tarea Ordenamiento, severely affected daily life. In neighborhoods like Guanabacoa and El Diezmero, residents blocked streets, shouted slogans, and were repressed by riot forces.
The scarcity of food, the deterioration of the healthcare system, citizen insecurity, and the collapse of housing create a comprehensive crisis scenario.
The OCC reported 90 protests related to food, including instances of people fainting in public due to hunger, and estimates suggesting that an average family needs over 90,000 pesos per month just for food, compared to much lower combined incomes.
There were also 83 reports of public insecurity, with an alarming increase in violent deaths—including femicides, robbery-related murders, and deaths in police custody—as well as 41 reports of failures in the healthcare system.
For the FHRC and the OCC, this scenario demonstrates that the Cuban people continue to mobilize, despite the increasing number of repressive laws that penalize everything from posting on social media to any form of public protest.
The report highlighted that all provinces of the country and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud experienced demonstrations, with Havana leading the way with 365 registered protests.
The monthly report reaffirms that, in present-day Cuba, discontent not only persists but also deepens and diversifies, and that the regime's attempts to stifle citizen outcry through repression and censorship fail to stop a society increasingly willing to break the silence.
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