Residents of the rural settlement of Providencia Four in the municipality of Majibacoa, province of Las Tunas, staged a public protest against the prolonged blackouts affecting the area, as shown in a video shared on social media this Saturday by the Cuban opposition figure José Daniel Ferrer.
The images show a group of neighbors protesting in broad daylight while chanting slogans such as "Down with the dictatorship!", "Down with communism!", "No more dictatorship!" and "No more blackouts!", in addition to shouts against the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel.
During the response action, residents reported prolonged power outages that, as heard in the video, have lasted over 24 and even 30 consecutive hours in that rural area of eastern Cuba.
The material also shows the presence of agents from the Revolutionary National Police and State Security at the site.
In one of the recorded moments, an officer approaches the protesters as they express their intention to engage in dialogue with the authorities.
According to the commentary accompanying the video posted by Ferrer, the protest occurred in response to prolonged blackouts and the living conditions faced by the residents of the area.
According to the opposition member, after the demonstration, the pattern of power outages temporarily changed in the area, shifting to cycles of approximately five hours with electricity and five hours without.
Ferrer also stated that residents of Majibacoa are preparing to organize new protests if there is no significant improvement in the electricity supply.
The protest takes place amid a rise in expressions of social discontent, fueled by the energy crisis the country is facing.
In recent days, there have been reports of loud protests and demonstrations in various provinces. In Havana, residents of the Santos Suárez neighborhood held bonfires in the middle of the street and staged a loud protest in areas such as Santa Irene and Calzada de Diez de Octubre, which caused traffic to come to a standstill.
Protests were also recorded in areas near the Esquina de Toyo, one of the most active locations during the national protests on July 11, 2021.
In Ciego de Ávila, residents of the Vista Alegre neighborhood held a daytime pot-banging protest recently, after being left without electricity or water for more than 29 hours, while highlighting the serious difficulties that power outages cause for the elderly, the sick, and people with reduced mobility.
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