The human rights organization Cubalex reported the detention of at least six citizens following a spontaneous protest that took place on Tuesday night in the neighborhood of Loma del Chivo, in the province of Guantánamo, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The protest arose as a direct response to the prolonged power outages that have been affecting the province: residents took to the streets in front of their homes, banging pots and carrying signs. State Security officers and police patrols arrived at the scene, filmed those present, and proceeded with the arrests.
Only the identities of two of the detainees have been confirmed: Yeansg Carlos Pérez George and Cristian Jesús Bergondo George. The other four remain unidentified.
Relatives gathered in front of the Operations Unit of the State Security Department in Guantánamo, where they reported having experienced mistreatment. They expressed concern that their children are being held incommunicado and that they would be accused of an alleged "crime against state security" simply for having protested.
In a video shared by Cubalex, a family member expressed their outrage with words that encapsulate the atmosphere of repression: "Right now, anyone protesting in Cuba is committing a crime against state security. In this moment, I have just become another opponent."
He also added in his complaint: "In this country, you can steal, you can kill, and nothing happens. What you can't do is protest against these corrupt thieves."
Cubalex demanded concrete answers from the regime: "We demand that the Cuban state provide immediate information regarding the legal situation of the six detainees from Loma del Chivo, the cessation of harassment against their families, and their immediate release. Peacefully expressing oneself is not a crime against national security, but rather a human right."
Guantánamo is one of the provinces most affected by the electricity crisis that Cuba is experiencing in July 2026, with power outages lasting up to 30 hours a day, exacerbated by a shortage of spare parts for eight damaged transformers and reliance on a single 110 kV line.
This is not the first time that repression has targeted demonstrators in that province. In November 2025, four people were detained following a protest over blackouts in the Maqueicito neighborhood, also in Guantánamo.
The repressive pattern of the regime in response to protests over power outages is systematic and well-documented. Since 2024, the authorities classify these demonstrations as crimes against state security, with sentences ranging from eight to 15 years in cases recorded in Villa Clara, Camagüey, and Havana.
June 2026 has been the month of greatest social unrest in Cuba so far this year, with 253 protests registered nationwide and 319 documented repressive events, according to a report from the organization Cubalex itself. The country has also experienced five nationwide blackouts in 2026, the most recent occurring last Monday.
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