Residents of Guanabo, a coastal neighborhood in the municipality of Habana del Este, gathered on Monday in front of the headquarters of the People's Power to demand access to drinking water, electricity, and food. The demonstration was discussed on Facebook by local resident Sisi Aguilera, which garnered over 17,000 views.
In a later video, Aguilera describes a community on the brink: without food, without drinking water, and subjected to endless power outages. "It's no longer just about discomforts; it's about the survival of thousands of families," she asserts.
The most specific complaint points to the inaction of local authorities regarding a problem that, as it clarifies, does have a solution: a pump system motor that has been broken for some time and has not been repaired by anyone.
"We're not talking about electricity, because we know that electricity is a nationwide problem. We're talking about simple things like a broken motor that hasn't been fixed," the woman pointed out, distinguishing local negligence from the country's structural electrical crisis.
The water that reaches the homes in Guanabo is brackish and unsuitable for human consumption, a situation that particularly affects the elderly, children, and the sick. "They have just realized that Guanabo does not have drinking water, that brackish water cannot be consumed, that there are elderly people, children, and sick individuals who need this basic service," he stated.
Aguilera was straightforward in pointing out the local government officials: "If those who lead the People's Power do not have solutions or are unable to fulfill the responsibilities they took on at the time, then they should step aside, because there are actions that can be taken and they are not being done."
"The people deserve answers, respect, and concrete actions. We can no longer wait," he concluded in his video.
The protest on Monday was not the first warning sign in the area. Last week, the residents reported that they were "surviving amid blackouts, water shortages, and garbage," with some residents resorting to sheltering in tents on the beach to escape the heat.
The activist María Elena Mir Marrero stated to Martí Noticias that Guanabo is in "terminal phase" because "it can no longer endure."
What happened in that coastal locality is part of the largest wave of popular protests in Cuba since July 11, 2021.
The Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 1,311 protests in May, the highest monthly figure ever documented. In June, demonstrations have spread throughout Havana: Centro Habana, San Miguel del Padrón, La Güinera, Santos Suárez, Regla, and Avenida Carlos III, among other locations.
While the streets burn, the regime has responded with deployments of special forces, internet blackouts, and arbitrary detentions.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights reported 332 repressive actions in May, including 55 arrests and a record of 1,281 political prisoners.
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