A video circulated on social media shows the exact moment when a young man was shot while standing in front of the municipal headquarters of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Morón, Ciego de Ávila province, during the protests that occurred on Friday night.
The seven-minute-long footage captures the most intense moments of the fire ignited by protesters outside the government headquarters.
At one moment, a boy stands very close to the building's door when a shot is heard clearly.
The moment occurs around the 5:02 mark of the recording.
After the loud noise, the young man moves a few meters with evident difficulties and falls onto the sidewalk, at which point several people nearby immediately rush to assist him.
In the video, you can also hear the reaction of the person recording, who warns about what happened.
“They shot him. Look, they shot one person and then they say they don't shoot”, comments the person recording the images, just before a group of protesters carries the injured person and puts him on a motorcycle to take him to a hospital.
It is not the only video shared on social media in recent hours that has shown the moment of the shot.
According to various unverified reports circulating on social media, the boy would be 16 years old, which, if confirmed, would worsen the situation as he is a minor.
The images show a thin young man wearing dark shorts and no shirt, as he had tied the sweater around his head at the moment he was hit on the thigh.
Official version denies shooting
Despite the audiovisual evidence circulating on the internet, Periódico Invador and various spokespersons linked to the Cuban official apparatus have insistently denied in recent hours that a protester was shot during the disturbances.
One of the first to speak out was the Facebook profile of Carlos Pérez, who claimed that the incident was simply a disturbance that had been brought under control and denied that the young man was a victim of repression.
“The young man they are now trying to present as a ‘victim’ was, ironically, one of those who led the disorder. In trying to tear down the Party's banner, he ended up falling”, he stated.
According to his account, the boy was taken to the hospital by his own classmates and is receiving medical attention "without complications."
Pérez also suggested that the images circulated on social media were part of a political operation against the government.
"It was not a spontaneous event. The images clearly show it: everything was orchestrated... seeking a spectacle that could then be exploited from the outside," he noted.
The same narrative was echoed by the pro-government journalist Francisnet Díaz Rondón, who denied that shots had been fired at protesters.
"The lie has been spread that a child was shot, but there were no injuries from gunfire. The shots were fired into the air to disperse the riot," he wrote.
The communicator insisted that the young man was injured in the fall.
“The boy they are trying to victimized was one of those responsible for the disturbances. While attempting to tear off the Party's identification, he fell”, he stated.
The newspaper Vanguardia later reinforced the same statement on the social network X, asserting that “there were no injuries from gunfire” and that the shots fired were only “into the air to disperse the riot.”
Doubts about the image disseminated by the official media
The official statements contrast with the images circulated from the scene.
In the video circulating on social media, a young man without a shirt, of thin build and youthful appearance, can be seen being carried by several demonstrators as they try to rush him to receive medical attention.
However, the photograph later circulated by state media shows a young man dressed, heavier, and with a more adult appearance.
The differences between the two images - the clothing, physical appearance, and apparent age - immediately raised doubts among many users on social media, who questioned whether this is truly the same person or if an alternative version of events is being constructed.
Protests amid a deep crisis
Reports about the injured young man emerged following the protests held on Friday night in Morón, where residents took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the prolonged power outages, food shortages, and the severe economic crisis facing the country.
Videos shared on social media show residents marching through various areas of the city while shouting "Freedom!" and banging pots and pans.
According to those reports, during the disturbances, the local headquarters of the party was also set on fire, and several bicycles used by police officers were burned.
Another video shows that the demonstration later moved towards the police station, where women and young people stood in front of the building shouting “Freedom!”
The protests are taking place in a context of growing social discontent on the island, marked by prolonged blackouts, shortages of basic goods, and a widespread deterioration of living conditions.
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