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The Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar stated that the Cuban regime "is crumbling under its own weight" following the protests on Friday in Morón, Ciego de Ávila.
“Cuba is in total collapse. After decades of repression and socialist disaster, the dictatorship is finally breaking under its own weight,” Salazar said on X.
“Across the island, Cubans are rising up and demanding what the regime has denied them for generations: FREEDOM. The United States stands with the Cuban people in their fight to reclaim their country.”
Also, his colleague Carlos Giménez reacted to the message published by Miguel Díaz-Canel regarding the protests in Morón, Ciego de Ávila, and issued a stern warning to the Cuban leader: what happened in that city, he asserted, could happen again elsewhere in the country.
Giménez responded directly in the comments to the post that Díaz-Canel made on the social network X following the disturbances reported in the municipality of Avilés.
"You henchmen of the dictatorship have pillaged the Cuban people. Your incompetence, abuse, and immense corruption have destroyed Cuba. What happened in Morón will continue to happen in all municipalities across the island. Leave before it’s too late. Homeland and Life!" wrote the congressman.
Díaz-Canel had spoken out about the protests that took place on Friday night, when dozens of residents of Morón took to the streets with pots and pans and shouts of “Freedom!” to denounce the prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and the decline in living conditions.
In his message, the Cuban leader stated that he understands the people's discontent over the energy crisis, but he issued a warning to those who took part in the disturbances.
"It is understandable the discomfort that prolonged blackouts cause in our people... And the complaints and demands are legitimate, as long as they are made with civility and respect for public order," he wrote. However, he added that "what will never be understandable, justified, or accepted is violence and vandalism," and he assured that "there will be no impunity for vandalism and violence."
The protests in Morón occurred amidst power outages that in some areas of the country exceed 20 hours a day, along with a profound economic crisis characterized by food shortages, inflation, and the deterioration of basic services.
During the protests, clashes occurred in front of the local Party headquarters, where a fire was reported in the public roadway and damage to the building ensued.
One of the most striking moments of the protest was captured in a widely circulated video on the internet, where a young man is seen getting injured after a gunshot is heard while he was near the PCC building.
In the images, the boy falls to the ground and is helped by several protesters, who carry him and transport him on a motorcycle to take him to a hospital.
Although various reports on social media claim that the young man was shot by a police officer —and some even suggest that he might be a minor— official media have denied that there were any shots fired at protesters and maintain that the young man was injured when he fell.
The official narrative has also sought to portray the events as isolated disturbances led by a small group of people manipulated from the outside, and the state media reports that five individuals have been detained.
Meanwhile, profiles linked to government institutions have shared videos recorded in the early morning showing empty streets in Morón, accompanied by messages claiming that the city is “in total tranquility.”
The demonstrations took place amid growing social unrest on the island, fueled by prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and the deterioration of living conditions.
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