Residents of Centro Habana took to the streets on Monday night to protest against the prolonged blackouts that are suffocating the Cuban capital, in a large demonstration recorded at the intersection of Manrique and Reina streets, just a few blocks from the National Capitol, home of the National Assembly of People's Power.
Images and videos shared on social media show dozens of people gathered in the streets in complete darkness, banging pots and shouting “turn on the lights, turn on the lights!”. During the protest, a trash bin was also set on fire in the area. It is unknown how the demonstration ended.
The images also show the arrival of several police vehicles at the scene, in what witnesses described as a repressive show of force by the regime. “Look at Castro's sign with their trucks, with their repressive cars,” is heard in a reel shared by journalist Alain Paparazzi on Instagram.
The protest occurred hours before the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba celebrates this Wednesday an Extraordinary Plenary called to discuss economic reforms, including the reduction of ministries from 27 to 21, changes in the subsidy system, and measures for the energy sector.
The electrical crisis that sparked the protest has reached critical levels. According to data from the Unión Eléctrica, this Wednesday at 6:00 AM, the system's availability was only 970 MW compared to a demand of 2,525 MW, with 1,555 MW affected by a deficit.
During the peak nighttime hours, a deficit of 1,970 MW was projected. Some areas of Havana have experienced power outages lasting up to 31 continuous hours, while other provinces have endured more than 48 hours without electricity.
The demonstration at Manrique and Reina (in the Los Sitios neighborhood) is not an isolated incident. Recently, residents of Santos Suárez also took to banging pots after 31 hours without electricity, with police present at the site. The wave of protests has shaken neighborhoods such as El Vedado, Cayo Hueso, Luyanó, El Cotorro, Regla, and Guanabacoa over the past few weeks.
The Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 1,245 protests in March 2026 and 1,133 in April, the highest figures since July 11, 2021, when over 70 locations in Cuba rose up in the largest social outbreak since 1959. Cubalex documented at least 14 arrests in Havana linked to protests over blackouts since March 6, 2026.
The proximity of the demonstration to the Capitol —a symbol of the state power of the Cuban regime— and its coincidence with the PCC Plenary gives it a symbolic weight that did not go unnoticed. "Cuba needs support. What it is asking for is freedom, it is a change," can be heard in one of the videos circulated from the scene.
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