A video circulated on social media shows the moment when repressive forces of the Cuban regime arrived in Morón, in Ciego de Ávila, to confront the anti-government protests that took place on the night of this Friday, amidst growing social discontent due to power outages, food shortages, and the economic crisis.
The images, shared by journalist Mario J. Pentón, capture the deployment of agents in the vicinity of the municipal headquarters of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), the main location where the protesters gathered.
In the video, a special forces vehicle slowly moves down the street while several agents walk around it.
Two people walk in front of the vehicle, which appears to be escorted, while behind other personnel run down the middle of the road to join the operation.
The scene reflects the swift mobilization of the repressive apparatus to contain the protest taking place in that area of the city.
Five detained and one injured
Following the disturbances, state media reported that the preliminary outcome of the day was at least five people detained, whose identities have not yet been publicly confirmed.
A young man was also reported injured during the incident, although there are conflicting accounts regarding what occurred.
The Cuban regime claims that the young man was injured after falling while attempting to remove a sign from the headquarters of the PCC.
However, videos shared on social media show a different sequence.
One of the videos, which lasts about seven minutes, captures the most tense moments in front of the pro-government building, where demonstrators sparked a fire.
The recording shows a young man approaching the entrance of the building when a shot is clearly heard.
Moments after the explosion, the young man struggles to move and falls onto the sidewalk. Several people nearby immediately rush to assist him.
The video also captures the reaction of the person who was recording the scene.
Despite the audiovisual evidence circulated on the internet, media and spokespersons linked to the Cuban official apparatus have repeatedly denied that the young man was shot during the disturbances.
Protests amid a deep crisis
The protests in Morón occurred against a backdrop of rising social unrest in Cuba.
Residents of the city took to the streets on Friday night to protest against prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and the deteriorating living conditions in the country.
Videos shared on social media show residents marching through various areas of the city while chanting "Liberty!" and banging pots and pans.
During the unrest, the local headquarters of the Communist Party was also set on fire, and several bicycles used by police officers were burned.
Another video shows that later the demonstration moved to a police station, where women and young people stood in front of the building while chanting "Freedom!" once again.
The images disseminated in recent hours reflect the atmosphere of tension experienced in Morón and the swift intervention of the repressive apparatus to attempt to control one of the most visible protests recorded recently on the island.
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