Following nighttime protests in Gibara, Holguín, the Communist Party Secretary, Nayla Marieta Leyva Rodríguez, addressed the public urging them to maintain faith in what she called their "tremendous Revolution." Her message, shared on Facebook this past Sunday, came after numerous residents took to the streets with pots, flashlights, and chants demanding "We want power!" and "Freedom!" after experiencing over 24 hours without electricity.
Social media videos depicted residents—women, men, and youths—marching through dark streets, demanding the restoration of electricity amid an ongoing energy crisis that recently led to a nationwide blackout.
Official Discourse: Emphasizing Respect and Dialogue
In her post, Leyva highlighted a "frank and honest exchange" with residents of El Güirito neighborhood affected by the power cuts. She described the meeting as respectful and peaceful, allowing explanations for the energy crisis. "We urge you to trust in recovery, and above all, not to lose hope," she wrote. She argued that the situation "goes beyond the will of a country, of our top leaders," and insisted that the Party and Government "will never abandon the people."
Her message included a patriotic and ideological appeal for unity amid criticism: "Let's trust in the tremendous Revolution we have, one that never abandons its children and fights for solutions," she emphasized.
Gibaravisión: A Return to Calm
The local broadcaster Gibaravisión echoed the official narrative, stating that after discussions with authorities, residents returned home and the city "remains calm and with its usual tranquility." The state media praised residents as "noble, courageous, and revolutionary," and accused social media users—"mostly from abroad"—of attempting to manipulate the events.
A Facebook video by the official news outlet showed empty streets to demonstrate the "civic peace" prevailing, yet the footage starkly highlighted the pervasive darkness caused by the electrical system’s collapse. In contrast, images shared on Facebook and WhatsApp by citizens displayed a broader mobilization than the official channels suggested. Chants such as "The people united will never be defeated!" accompanied by banging pots echoed down several streets in the coastal city.
Protests Amid a Broader Crisis
The protest in Gibara adds to a series of demonstrations across various provinces this year, driven by prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and deteriorating basic services. On September 10, the island experienced a general blackout following an unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in Matanzas. This marked the fifth collapse of the National Electric System in less than a year, underscoring the fragility of an outdated infrastructure lacking investments.
While President Miguel Díaz-Canel recently applauded the "record recovery" of the SEN, millions of Cubans continue to endure daily blackouts due to unstable supply. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, also a National Assembly deputy from Gibara, recently urged the public to have "trust" and assured that the government was doing "everything possible and impossible" to restore electrical service.
However, his statements contrasted sharply with the reality faced by Gibara residents on September 14, who, after more than 24 hours without power, took to the streets demanding immediate solutions.
Growing Public Discontent
Frustration over the lack of electricity is also captured in surveys and studies. An online poll by CiberCuba found that 83% of respondents believe the government should relinquish power due to its inability to resolve the electrical crisis. The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights reported that 92% of those surveyed disapprove of the government's performance, with extreme poverty affecting 89% of the population.
In Gibara, the demands for "power and water" underscore these statistics. Although the protest was peaceful, with no reported arrests or police repression, it marks another episode of frustration in a population living daily under darkness and unmet promises.
Between Propaganda and Reality
As local authorities call for trust in the so-called "revolution" and warn against being "swayed by imperialist siren songs," Gibara residents continue to measure their daily lives in hours of electricity. The stark contrast between the official narrative of calm and dialogue, and the citizen-shared images of widespread banging pots, reveals a growing divide between the regime’s rhetoric and the reality faced by the people.
For now, Gibara has returned to calm, but under the shadow of uncertainty about when the lights will return and how much longer the patience of a people tired of promises will last.
FAQs on Gibara's Power Outage Protests
What sparked the protests in Gibara?
The protests were sparked by an extended power outage lasting over 24 hours, leading residents to demand the restoration of electricity and express their discontent with the ongoing energy crisis.
How did the local authorities respond to the protests?
Local authorities, including the Communist Party Secretary, urged residents to maintain faith in the government and the Revolution, emphasizing dialogue and respect in addressing the energy crisis.
What role did social media play in the Gibara protests?
Social media played a crucial role in disseminating videos and images of the protests, highlighting the disparity between the official narrative and the actual scale of the public's mobilization.