Four young people remain detained by State Security in Camagüey after residents of the Oriente Rebelde community, in the municipality of Sibanicú, took to the streets to demand drinking water and electricity during a pot-banging protest, as reported by resident Rogelio Rodríguez Mora on Facebook.
The protest took place on July 25, the eve of National Rebellion Day, when dozens of residents expressed their frustration over the prolonged lack of basic services affecting the community. A day later, according to testimony shared by Rodríguez Mora, State Security agents arrived on the scene, summoned several residents for questioning, and arrested four young people.
"There are four people imprisoned in Camagüey, four young men detained here in the Rebel East due to the pot-banging protests the other night on the 25th, due to a lack of everything, but mainly water and electricity," reported a resident in a video published on social media.
Two of the detainees were identified as Luisito Lahud and Liván Aguilera. Rodríguez Mora stated that both are "hardworking young men" and explained that he would disclose the identities of the other two when he could confirm them. According to his report, the four remain held in the State Security unit in the city of Camagüey.
The activist also recounted that the mother of one of the arrested had to travel to the provincial capital to accompany another of her children, a minor, who had been summoned by the political police. According to him, he heard that the authorities intended to refer the four young people to the Prosecutor's Office "for merely asking for water and electricity."
Rodríguez Mora also described the police presence that followed the protest. "It was filled with cars and police scaring people. They summoned a few individuals, and you know how they operate, intimidating everyone," he stated.
A whistleblower who has already suffered repression
The complaint takes on special significance because Rodríguez Mora had already been a target of state repression. In August 2025, as documented by the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP), he was detained for 12 days after participating in another protest over the lack of water in the same community.
During that arrest, he was subjected to repeated interrogations. According to the ICLEP documentation, an agent identified as "Quebin" insulted him, and another offered to arrange an eye operation in exchange for becoming a State Security informant. After regaining his freedom, he was required to report weekly to a police station to sign in.
Protesting against power outages continues to have consequences
The arrests in Sibanicú contribute to the wave of detentions recorded in Cuba during 2026 following protests related to blackouts, water shortages, and the deterioration of living conditions.
After the protest that took place in Luyanó on July 9, at least 24 people were detained. Days later, on July 17, Cubalex reported the arrest of six people in Loma del Chivo, Guantánamo, following another spontaneous protest.
Independent organizations also reflect the increase in repression. The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) documented 1,949 repressive actions during the first half of 2026, including 257 arbitrary detentions. Cubalex, for its part, reported 38 detentions related to pot-banging protests just in June, including six minors, in addition to counting 107 protests in the country during that month.
The backdrop of these demonstrations is the deep energy crisis facing Cuba. On July 8, the national electrical system recorded a historic deficit of 2,341 MW, while this Monday the availability barely reached 1,000 MW against a demand of 3,100 MW. So far in 2026, the country has experienced at least four total collapses of the National Electric System.
At the end of his statement, Rodríguez Mora asserted that the response from the authorities demonstrates the regime's fear of the growing social discontent. "Once again, it's clear to me that they’re scared to death. There is a dictatorship in Cuba," he stated before closing his message with the slogan: "Freedom, Homeland, and Life."
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