Neighbors in the center of Santiago de Cuba took to the streets this Saturday to demand the immediate restoration of electricity and to denounce abusive charges that, they claim, local officials are requiring them to pay to reconnect the service following the hurricane's passage.
The protest, which took place on Carnicería Street between San Antonio and San Mateo, reflects the growing fatigue of a population that has been reporting irregularities and extortive practices in the midst of the emergency for days.
According to independent communicator Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, residents in the area were informed that they had to pay 15,000 pesos for the brigades to carry out the necessary repairs, even though the nearby blocks already have electricity service without having paid a single cent. For many families, this amount is simply impossible and serves as a clear indication that, even in times of crisis, some officials take advantage of people's needs.
Among those affected are households with young children, the elderly, and families who have been unable to cook for days due to a lack of gas. In addition to the power outage, there is a delicate epidemiological situation, with neighbors reporting that they were also being charged 500 pesos for fumigation, at a time when mosquitoes are proliferating amidst the trash and standing water left by the hurricane.
Tired of the official silence and lack of responses from the authorities, the residents decided to block the street with garbage and stand on the corners as a form of peaceful protest. "We want respect, we want electricity, we want the abuses to stop," said one of the protesters, while the neighbors demanded transparency in the recovery process.
The scene takes place just a week after the protest in Maqueicito, Guantánamo, where dozens of people took to the streets after ten days without electricity, also as a result of the hurricane.
In that town, the protest ended with four arrests and a heavy military presence in the area, along with an internet blackout during the night of the protest.
The eastern region of Cuba, which was severely impacted by Cyclone Melissa, is experiencing a slow and uneven recovery. While some neighborhoods have received assistance, others remain without power or face demands for payment to receive a service that, according to the law, should be restored at no cost.
In a context of extreme scarcity, insufficient wages, and a collapsed healthcare system, each day without electricity means spoiled food, lack of water, proliferation of disease vectors, and a level of stress affecting the entire community.
Filed under: