Residents of Vedado, in Havana, blocked Avenue 26 on the night of this past Tuesday, after enduring more than 40 consecutive hours without electricity, in a new escalation of protests against blackouts that have been affecting the neighborhood throughout 2026.
The action, which involved the blockage of the road and where several people banged their pots in the middle of the street, was documented by activist Salomé García Bacallao in various Facebook posts.
Shortly after the concentration began, García Bacallao warned: "The military operation to suppress the protest on 26th Street has already started."
The night images accompanying his report show vehicles with flashing blue lights—indicative of police presence—and people gathered on the street with candles or small lights. The photographs were taken from an elevated floor of the surrounding residential buildings.
The closure of an artery such as Avenida 26 represents an escalation from the traditional "cacerolazo": it involves the active occupation of public space and the direct obstruction of traffic, which increases the visibility of the protest and, consequently, the repressive response from the regime.
El Vedado has become a recurring epicenter of public outrage over blackouts: on Sunday, there was a pot-banging protest after more than 24 hours without power, and in July, residents took to the streets after exceeding 30 hours without electricity.
During June, protests spread to Central Havana, Playa, Regla, and other municipalities, and the presence of police and special forces was the typical response from the regime.
The night before, a police operation surrounded the residents of Fanguito amid another protest against power outages, which confirms the pattern of containment that the authorities systematically apply in the face of any manifestation of discontent.
The energy situation explains the accumulation of discontent. The Electric Union (UNE) reported this Tuesday a available generation of only 960 MW against a demand of 2,910 MW, with a forecasted deficit of 2,280 MW. Cuba ended August with an impact of 2,410 MW during peak hours, nearing the monthly record of 2,411 MW set on August 4.
During the last week of August, between 65% and 72% of the country was left without electricity simultaneously during peak hours, according to data from UNE. So far this year, the National Electroenergetic System has experienced at least seven total failures, two of which occurred within less than 48 hours at the beginning of August.
The aging thermal power infrastructure, lack of fuel, and insufficient maintenance are driving a crisis that is already the most severe in decades. For most Cubans, experiencing about 20 hours a day without electricity has become the norm, not the exception.
The regime's response—surrounding protest areas with patrols and special forces, and in some cases making arrests or cutting off internet access—repeats itself every time residents decide to take to the streets, while government authorities fail to provide real solutions to the crisis that drives them to protest.
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