A fire completely destroyed the Ranchón of Santa Isabel de las Lajas, in the province of Cienfuegos, in the early hours of Sunday, June 21, 2026.
The images of the incident, released on Facebook by Bernardo Madrazo Hernández, show the building—a single-story structure with a thatched roof—completely engulfed in flames, with the fire rising into the sky and illuminating the surrounding trees.
“Ranchón de Lajas was consumed by flames early this morning,” said the user on Facebook.
The fire occurs at a time when blackouts and public discontent are multiplying in Cuba, with clanging pots, street closures, and spontaneous protests reported in various provinces of the country during May and June 2026.
According to the publication by Madrazo Hernández, "the images that have come from Santa Isabel de las Lajas and other locations reflect the level of frustration and despair experienced by numerous Cuban families."
He also pointed out regarding this case that "official information continues to be limited or nonexistent, which increases uncertainty and concern among the population."
Many Cubans, according to the Sunday publication, "attribute this situation to the accumulated exhaustion after years of prolonged blackouts, food shortages, lack of drinking water, scarcity of medications, and the overall deterioration of living conditions."
The same ranchón burned down in 2021
This is not the first disaster that the place has suffered. On September 23, 2021, the Ranchón de Lajas was set on fire in what independent media described as a direct act of sabotage in response to the blackouts that plagued the region.
The regime did not provide explanations at that time. Five years later, the pattern repeats itself in an even more aggravated crisis.
El Ranchón de Lajas has thus become a recurring symbol of popular discontent in Cienfuegos in response to the Cuban government's inaction, which continues to remain unresponsive to the various problems that have suffocated the population for years.
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