Neighbors of Reparto Sueño, one of the most central and densely populated neighborhoods of Santiago de Cuba, took to the streets again on Wednesday night to bang pots and pans in protest against the prolonged blackouts affecting the city, according to a post by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada on Facebook.
"Another night when the residents of Reparto Sueño take to the streets to bang pots and pans," wrote reporter Mayeta Labrada to document the protest in this neighborhood of over 17,000 inhabitants that had already been the scene of similar protests in June and on several dates in July, including July 25, the eve of the anniversary of the assault on Moncada.
The comments on the post reflect a fatigue that goes far beyond the neighborhood. From Chicharrones, another area of Santiago, a resident noted: "Good for them, here they haven't had power since 2 in the morning."
One of the comments summed up the collective feeling: "The entire people should do the same; this can no longer be tolerated."
Frustration has also reached those who see the protests yielding no concrete results. "Well, it seems that even with pots and pans they don't pay attention to us, because right here this is now a little Christmas tree; I had to unplug everything," wrote another person. The same post included an image with the text: "Down with the dictatorship, freedom."
The energy situation in Santiago de Cuba was critical this Wednesday: according to the citizen report observatory, the average duration of power outages in the city reached 24 hours, with 907 reports recorded.
Nationally, the National Electric Power System reported only 849 MW of available generation against a deficit of 1,830 MW, while the Electric Union had forecasted an impact of 2,230 MW for this day, which equates to up to 74% of the country without power simultaneously during peak demand.
The Reparto Sueño is not just any neighborhood: it houses the old Moncada Barracks, a central symbol of the official narrative of the regime, in addition to the Heredia Theater and the Antonio Maceo Revolution Square, making it particularly significant as a recurrent setting for protests against the dictatorship.
The kitchenware protests in Santiago de Cuba are part of a wave of demonstrations that in July 2026 also spread to Havana, with hotspots in Lawton, El Vedado, Guanabacoa, Centro Habana, and Old Havana, among other areas.
The regime has responded with arrests, police deployments, internet blackouts in protest areas, and temporary electricity concessions, without addressing the structural causes of the crisis: low generation capacity, technical failures in thermal power plants, and fuel shortages.
In July alone, the Cuban electrical system experienced at least four total collapses, leaving around 9.6 million people without electricity in each incident, and on July 8, the largest energy deficit in the country's recent history was recorded: 2,341 MW, with 73% of the population affected simultaneously.
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