Mass Protest Erupts in Central Havana Over Widespread Blackouts and Water Shortages

A large number of Cubans took to the streets in Havana following consecutive days of severe blackouts and water shortages. Videos and images circulating on social media showcase spontaneous demonstrations on Monte Street within the Centro Habana municipality. In these scenes, shared by users such as Saúl Manuel, Enrique Hernández, and pages like Patria y Vida, the sounds of banging pots, chants of "Freedom!" and even a fire blazing in the middle of the street can be seen and heard.

Protesters blocked intersections like Monte and Antón Recio, sitting down in the streets as a form of peaceful protest, with several children among them. One post highlights images from the Los Sitios neighborhood, where women and minors actively participated in the protest amidst darkness, without electricity or water, following a day marked by the collapse of basic services. "These are kids, don't dare hit them, I know you," activist Lara Crofs warned. "Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, you are directly responsible if anything happens to any of these children," she added.

The Agony of Blackouts

The protest erupted after Havana experienced one of the most critical days of the year regarding power interruptions on Wednesday, as reported by the capital's Electric Company, which acknowledged an impact of 296 MW due to low generation availability. Blocks 3, 4, 5, and 6 were designated as emergency zones and remained without electricity for hours.

Continuous and widespread blackouts across the city, with outages lasting up to 24 hours, have fueled growing social discontent. Many citizens have voiced their frustration over the lack of solutions and the repetition of the same official explanations, while enduring sweltering temperatures, mosquitoes, water shortages, and the inability to perform everyday tasks like cooking or washing.

The fact that even Havana, a city prioritized by the government for electricity supply, suffers such prolonged outages underscores the severity of the country's energy crisis. Reports on social media also indicate similar demonstrations in the Lawton and Altahabana neighborhoods, which are similarly affected by extended blackouts and the lack of essential services.

Water Shortage: Another Source of Outrage

The shortage of potable water is another factor fueling anger in the capital. In recent days, the state-owned Aguas de La Habana acknowledged new breaks in the Cuenca Sur pipeline, leaving vast areas of the city without service, in some cases for over a month. Residents report that the water supply is restored selectively while entire communities survive with one or two water trucks for weeks.

The situation also affects central neighborhoods like El Vedado, where a resident shared on social media the ordeal of living more than 60 days without running water and having to pay up to 25,000 pesos for a private water truck that barely lasts two days. "We get up at 8 in the morning to fetch water for the day from a nearby tap," one person complained.

A Government Without Answers

So far, the authorities have not provided concrete timelines for normalizing services or immediate solutions. The Electric Company of Havana has stated that power restoration will proceed according to the national system's directives, prioritizing blocks with the longest outages, without offering specific details or clear commitments.

Meanwhile, citizens continue to denounce institutional neglect, the deterioration of the national electro-energy system, and the lack of effective measures to address a crisis that has put the daily lives of millions of Cubans on hold.