Massive Protest in Gibara: Government Claims "All is Calm"

Newly surfaced images from a large protest in Gibara, Holguín, are spreading across social media, revealing public frustration over persistent power outages. Despite the clear unrest, the government asserts that "everything proceeded with empathy and respect." The official channel, Gibaravisión, acknowledged that "a group of residents from Güirito in Gibara, affected by the severe electricity situation, came out of their homes to express their dissatisfaction through respectful dialogue."

In the statement, the government accused social media users, "mostly from abroad," of attempting to manipulate the protest. Authorities praised the people of Gibara, claiming they are "noble, courageous, and revolutionary," while criticizing efforts to "politicize" the situation. The state media reported that local officials went to the protest site to "answer questions and engage with" the community. They shared an image of what they described as a dialogue, along with several pictures of empty city streets in an attempt to deny that a mass protest took place.

The government's photos depict a well-lit city with no one on the streets, a communication tactic frequently used following protests in Cuba. However, observers noted the irony of the brightly lit but deserted city, questioning, "Oh, so they turned the power back on?" implying that the regime is forced to act when citizens demand their rights.

One user commented critically on the regime's narrative, saying, "The only disrespectful ones are you, trying to alter the story and reality. Neither Gibara nor any town in Cuba is revolutionary. The revolution persists due to government repression and the cowardice of many Cubans."

Nighttime Protest After Extended Power Outage

Social media was flooded on Sunday morning with images and videos from the massive protest in Gibara. In the early hours of September 14, dozens of residents took to the streets with pots, flashlights, cell phones, and chants of protest after more than 24 hours without electricity.

Chants like "The united people will never be defeated!" and "We want power and water!" echoed in the darkness as men, women, and youth banged on pots, marching through the streets demanding immediate solutions to the worsening energy crisis affecting the country. "Incredible, the entire town of Gibara with pots on the street... We had no power all day, they only turned it on for 30 minutes," remarked a local resident in a shared video.

National Context of Energy Crisis

The protest follows the collapse of the National Electric System, which led to a nationwide blackout in Cuba on September 10. Although the authorities have acknowledged issues with power generation, the outages persist. These prolonged blackouts are disrupting water supply and causing growing social unrest.

As of now, there have been no reports of arrests or police repression during the protest. Witness accounts describe the mobilization as peaceful, sustained throughout the night, and driven by the mounting desperation over the lack of solutions.