A deafening clamor of pots so intense that it barely allows the voices of the protesters to be heard shook Old Havana this Monday during the blackout, according to a video shared on Facebook by independent communicator Yosmany Mayeta Labrada.
The recording, nearly completely dark due to the power outage, starkly reflects the accumulated frustration of Havanians in the face of an unresolvable energy crisis.
The clip was published this Monday with the text "Powerful pot-banging amid the blackout in Old Havana" and shows only a faint light source in the total darkness of the historic neighborhood of the Cuban capital.
The day began with a projected electricity deficit of 2,130 MW for the peak night hours, according to the report from the Unión Eléctrica.
The availability of the National Electroenergy System was only 1,150 MW compared to a projected demand of 3,250 MW.
On Sunday, the system recorded a maximum impact of 2,083 MW, and the service was interrupted for 24 hours, according to data from the Electric Union itself.
The date also carries a particular symbolic weight: the pot-banging protest on Monday happens the day after the 73rd anniversary of the assault on the Moncada Barracks, an event that the Cuban regime commemorates as National Rebellion Day.
The government had declared a work break on July 25, 26, and 27, but the official holiday coincides with 24-hour blackouts and a wave of protests that it could not silence.
What happened this Monday in Old Havana is not an isolated incident.
The most recent protests before this Monday included cacerolazos in El Vedado just ten days ago after more than 30 hours without power, new cacerolazos and barricades with fire in Havana and Santiago de Cuba five days ago, and protests in Lawton, San Agustín, La Coronela, and La Lisa last Saturday.
Filed under: