Neighbors from the San Isidro neighborhood in Old Havana took to the streets to protest this Thursday after being without electricity for four days and without water for five, according to a video shared on social media by user Isis Ro.
In the images, a woman directly addresses the local residents with a call to take action: "Four days without electricity, five days without water, those are terrible conditions for those down the street."
The same voice asks indignantly where those are who confront each other instead of protesting against the regime, and it denounces that "a bunch of children" are suffering from hunger and need.
The protest in San Isidro was not the only one reported this Thursday in Havana and its surroundings. In Loma de la Pela, in Guanabacoa, near the town of Barreras, a nighttime pot-banging protest took place, with participants later joining residents of Barreras to protest together in the park of that locality, as reported by journalist José Raúl Gallego.
Gallego cited a witness present at the Barreras gathering who confirmed the arrival of agents from the State Security and local leaders at the site: "The State Security is there along with some leaders, trying to convince them to return to their homes and that they will restore the electricity on Saturday."
The protests this Thursday are set against a backdrop of an unprecedented energy crisis. The National Electric System has experienced four total collapses so far in 2026, the eighth in just 24 months.
The energy deficit reached a record of 2,341 MW on July 8, affecting 73% of the population. In some areas of Havana, outages exceed 35 consecutive hours daily, while in Matanzas, reports have indicated up to 87 hours without electricity.
The lack of electricity prevents water pumping, which exacerbates the water supply shortage in municipalities such as Old Havana, Centro Habana, and Plaza de la Revolución. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero acknowledged that the fuel shortage is the main factor behind the failures, although the regime has not provided any concrete short-term solutions.
Guanabacoa has a recent history of mobilizations. On July 8, residents of La Hata took to the streets after 24 hours of blackout, shouting "Freedom!" and "Down with the dictatorship!". The strong pot-banging protest in Reparto Nalón on July 12, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the 11J, demonstrated that social pressure in that municipality remains unwavering.
The entire country recorded 107 protests just in June 2026, nearly double the previous record of 54 in 2024. The organization Cubalex documented 38 arrests related to cacerolazos that month, including six minors.
The tactic of promising to restore electrical service to disperse protesters —as happened this Thursday in Barreras— has been documented multiple times before as part of the regime's strategy to contain discontent without addressing the underlying crisis.
This Friday, a cacerolazo in El Vedado after more than 30 hours without electricity confirmed that the wave of protests in Havana continues without signs of waning.
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