14ymedio, Havana, October 18, 2022–A total of 23 people remain in detention in Cuba for participating in the latest cazerolazos — protests featuring banging on pots and pans. According to estimates Justicia 11J on Tuesday, since September 29th 52 people have been arrested for protesting, primarily for the restoration of electricity during the scheduled power outages.
Since these demonstrations began, on June 14th, the number of detainees totaled 152; along with those of July 11th 2021, they reach “at least” 1,753 (counting those who have been released), said the justice organization.
Justicia 11J highlighted the cases of Ovidio Martín Luna, Milena González Martín and Sulaine Almenares Videau, arrested on Monday for protesting on Sunday night in the neighborhood of Vista Hermosa, in Santiago de Cuba.
Almenarez Videaux, an activist member of Cuba’s Patriotic Union (Unpacu) and mother of two children, aged six and three years, and a nine-month-old baby, was taken to a detention center with them, according to claims made by several activists on social media.
In Aguada de Pasajeros (Cienfuegos province), Justicia 11J also underscored that Carlos Rolando Gómez Rosell, arrested for demonstrating on October 12th, has been beaten by police and is on a hunger strike. According to his wife, whom the organization cites, “he is being investigated for possession of three pounds of meat from his own horse.”
Despite the repression, Cubans continue rebelling against the government. On Monday it was, for the second consecutive night, in Las Tunas, which until now had been one of the provinces least likely to protest.
In a video shared on social media, one can hear, in sheer darkness, the sounds of screams and banging on pots. The protest occurred, according to users, in the neighborhood of Buena Vista. In another, a crowd, which included older people and children, faced off verbally with authorities, to whom they complained for lack of power. “How long will they go on talking?” asked a resident who stated, “We’re demanding our rights — electricity, food, water.”
Through October 15th, Proyecto Inventario, an independent organization, had documented 200 protests since July 14th, when the daily blackouts began.
Translated by: Silvia Suárez
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
