Outraged by the incessant power outages, the residents of these neighborhoods no longer hesitate to protest openly.
14ymedio, Havana, 8 March 2025 — For the second consecutive night, protests took place this Saturday in several Havana neighborhoods. In Regla and Guanabacoa, 14ymedio witnessed simultaneous cacerolazos — pot-banging protests — denouncing the prolonged power outages affecting the entire country. Demonstrations of the same type were also reported in other parts of the capital, such as Marianao and Cotorro , and in other provinces.
In Guanabacoa, near the Corral Falso area, a group was shouting “Down with the Dictatorship!”, as seen in the video filmed by this news outlet. The banging of pots and pans could be heard in several streets, some more intense than others. Many of those banging pots and pans were children, undoubtedly with their parents’ consent.
There was a heavy police presence, with patrol cars on every third corner. They didn’t seem inclined to intervene against the protesters, who, in their desperation, appeared to have lost all fear. Some even went so far as to burn trash in the streets.
Social media was flooded with testimonies and images of protests, such as those shared by José Raúl Gallego. The journalist, who lives in Mexico, posted a video in which people shout, “We don’t want electricity, we want freedom!” In others, shouts directed against Díaz-Canel can be heard. In Regla, amid the clanging of pots and pans around a bonfire, people shout “Freedom!” and “The time is now!”
In their desperation, they seemed to have lost all fear. Some even went so far as to burn trash in the streets.
In a video shared by Florida-based YouTuber Alain Paparazzi, a mother confronts a police officer, shouting in outrage that she has four children to care for and the authorities aren’t intimidating her: “Get the patrol car!”, “You’re all singaos*!”, “Don’t mess with the kids!” In the video, the officer can be seen remaining silent and walking away, looking resigned.
It is striking that the video of this desperate mother appeared on social media almost simultaneously with the congratulatory message that President Díaz-Canel sent to the women of Cuba, which was quickly criticized and ridiculed by users outraged by the blackouts and the critical situation in which most of the island’s population lives.
Alongside the banging of pots and pans, the burning of garbage bins is a recurring theme in several of the videos circulating online. The gesture is significant because the garbage that inundates the city reflects the misery in which the population lives. These bonfires serve both as a protest against the unsanitary conditions that the government has failed to address, and as a way to find light during the blackout. Some sing the national anthem next to a burning garbage bin while others shout slogans. The woman filming these images is choking on the smoke.
These bonfires also serve as a protest against the unsanitary conditions that the State has failed to resolve.
This Sunday, protest signs against the government also appeared in public spaces, with slogans such as “Down with communism” and “Come on Trump.” Images of these signs have been circulating on social media in the province of Matanzas and in San Antonio de los Baños. In the latter town, the signs also call for the release of Felipe Rodríguez Ledesma, arrested on March 3 for displaying a sign on his tricycle against “catfish and snitches.”
Regarding the blackouts, which are one of the main reasons for the population’s discontent, the recovery of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in Matanzas was announced today – its disconnection aggravated the energy situation for several days – the Electric Union forecasts a deficit of 1,855 MW for tonight, which is equivalent to more than half of the national demand.
*Translator’s note: ‘Singao’ is a strong epithet often translated as motherfucker, asshole, or similar terms. As it rhymes with “Diaz-Canel” it is frequently chanted linked with the Cuban president’s name.
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