The first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Ciego de Ávila, Julio Góngora Casanova, attacked the Cubans who protested against the regime in Morón last Friday.
"A small group of revolutionaries tried to speak. Do you know why that demonstration wasn't crushed in five minutes? Because of the greatness of the Cuban Revolution, because our revolutionary police did not want to shoot anyone. They tried to kill the revolutionaries with stones, they cornered them, they took them to a corner in the Party, and yet they didn't shoot anyone," said the official this Monday during a political event organized by the regime.
"The only injured party is a drunk who climbed onto the stage and sprained his ankle while trying to take down a poster. Later, cowardly in the hospital, he claimed that his wife hit him, saying, 'These injuries are because my wife hit me,'" he asserted, agitated.
"Here are police officers who were hit in the face with rocks, here is the Chief who was attacked with a rock, here is the First Secretary who was assaulted with a rock. There are several deputy mayors who were attacked, several revolutionaries who were hit with rocks," he added.
The Cuban regime organized a “reaffirmation” event this Monday in front of the rooster of Morón, in Ciego de Ávila, following the massive protest by its residents last Friday.
"To ensure the truth is not distorted, and to reaffirm the unwavering decision of the people of Moron to defend this land, a large representation of Moron residents gathers at the monument to the fighting rooster that identifies the city and its people," reads a post from the state-run newspaper Invasor.
The event is part of the regime's damage control following last Friday's most intense day of protests in Cuba in recent months. A large demonstration took to the streets of Morón.
Numerous videos on social media show groups of residents marching through the streets, chanting slogans against the government and holding pot-banging protests.
During the demonstrations, there were also clashes in front of the municipal headquarters of the Party, where a fire broke out in the street and damage was caused to the building.
One of the most shocking moments of the protest was captured in a video that circulated widely on the internet, showing the moment a young man was injured after a gunshot was heard while he was near the PCC building.
In the images, the boy falls to the ground and is assisted by several protesters, who carry him and transport him on a motorbike to take him to a hospital.
Although various reports on social media claim that the young man was shot by a police officer—some even suggest that he may be a minor—official media have denied that there were any shots fired at the protesters and maintain that the young man was injured from a fall.
The official narrative has also attempted to portray the events as isolated disturbances led by a small group of individuals manipulated from the outside, and state-controlled media report that five people have been arrested.
The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel said this Saturday that the demands are legitimate as long as they are acted upon with "civility" following the protest in Morón in the early morning.
"It is understandable the discomfort caused in our people by the prolonged blackouts, as a consequence of the U.S. energy blockade, which has cruelly intensified in recent months," the leader wrote on X, blaming the U.S., as is customary in the regime's propaganda, for the situation in Cuba.
"And the complaints and claims are legitimate, as long as they are made with civility and respect for public order. What will never be understandable, justified, or accepted is the violence and vandalism that threaten public tranquility and the security of our institutions," he added.
Díaz-Canel concluded with this warning to the protesters: "There will be no impunity for vandalism and violence."
Cuba has been experiencing over 8 days of continuous protests against the regime, with cries and signs of "Freedom" and "Down with Communism."
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