Neighbors from the neighborhood of Cayo Hueso, in Centro Habana, took to the streets on July 7 and 8 to stage a massive pot-banging protest in front of the Lázaro Peña theater, with slogans that went far beyond just demanding electricity: "We want freedom, not power", "Freedom!" and "Wounded homeland!" echoed through the Havana night.
What caught the most attention from those documenting the events was a revealing detail: the area had electricity while the neighbors were protesting.
"In the videos, it is clearly seen that the area has light, yet they are still protesting for freedom, and this clearly reflects the sentiment of a nation that is tired of living on scraps," stated the narrator of the video shared on social media.
That piece of information —protesting with the lights on— was interpreted by observers as evidence of a shift in mindset within Cuban civil society: dissatisfaction is no longer solely directed at the lack of basic services but is now aimed directly at the political system.
Protests are taking place amid the worst energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades. On July 6, a widespread blackout was recorded — the third of the year and the seventh in the last 18 months — leaving approximately 9.6 million people without electricity.
This Thursday, the electricity generation deficit reached a record of 2,260 MW, with a real availability of only 935 to 1,050 MW against a demand of 3,100 MW.
In Havana, power cuts average 15 hours daily, with peaks of 35 hours in the Cerro municipality. Matanzas experienced up to 87 consecutive hours without electricity, while Granma faced 72 hours.
The crisis worsened since January 2026, when Venezuela halted its oil shipments to the Island. Eleven of the 16 thermoelectric units in the country are out of service due to malfunctions, and the CTE Antonio Guiteras —the main plant in the country— has accumulated more than 15 shutdowns so far this year.
Centro Habana is not an isolated case. In June, 107 street protests were recorded in Cuba, a historic record—almost double the previous high of 54 in March—of which 82 took place in Havana.
In July, the wave intensified: Jaimanitas experienced two consecutive days of protests on July 5 and 7 with shouts of "Down with the dictatorship!" and "Down with the communist regime!"; in Zamora, Marianao, residents took to the streets on July 1 after more than 24 hours without electricity; in La Lisa, they gathered in front of the PCC headquarters after 50 consecutive hours without power.
The regime has responded with police repression, arrests, and internet outages in the affected areas, while Miguel Díaz-Canel blames the energy crisis on the U.S. embargo.
According to the Human Rights Violations Observatory in Cuba, the regime committed at least 1,949 repressive actions against citizens in the first half of 2026, and Cuba holds between 1,260 and 1,281 political prisoners, a record figure.
The July mobilizations also coincide with the fifth anniversary of the July 11, 2021, when thousands of Cubans took to the streets in more than 22 cities. Opposition organizations in exile have arranged commemorative events in Madrid for next Saturday, marking five years since that historic uprising.
Filed under: