This Tuesday marks the fourth consecutive night of protests across Cuba, as demonstrators take to the streets and engage in loud pot-banging demonstrations. These protests have spread from Havana to other provinces, including Ciego de Ávila, Matanzas, and Santiago de Cuba, fueled by an unprecedented energy crisis leaving millions of Cubans without power for over 20 hours a day.
The wave of protests began on Friday, March 7, following the collapse of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant on March 5. This incident triggered a chain reaction that resulted in over 68% of the island being plunged into darkness, marking the worst power outage in the nation's history. The power generation deficit has fluctuated between 1,800 and 2,000 megawatts, with 10 out of the 16 thermoelectric units offline.
In Havana, nighttime pot-banging protests were reported in neighborhoods such as Miramar, La Lisa, Marianao, Guanabacoa, Regla, San Miguel del Padrón, Centro Habana, Boyeros, El Cotorro, and Arroyo Naranjo, among others. In Marianao, residents sang the national anthem and burned trash for light during protests. In La Lisa, chants of "Down with the Revolution" and "Down with the dictatorship" echoed through the streets. A resident of Guanabacoa captured the collective sentiment with a phrase circulating on social media: "This is over, damn it!"
Student Protests and Government Response
On Monday, March 9, students held a peaceful sit-in on the steps of the University of Havana, starting with 20 to 30 participants, protesting against blackouts, lack of connectivity, and the impracticality of hybrid classes. After nearly two hours, the First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Modesto Ricardo Gómez, attempted to negotiate, but the students responded firmly: "You haven't listened to us from the beginning."
In Santiago de Cuba, authorities resorted to completely dismantling a billboard near the University of Oriente after failing to erase graffiti that read "Down with communism" and "Down with the dictatorship." Protests were also reported on Monday in Ceballos, Ciego de Ávila, and Jagüey Grande, Matanzas.
The Energy Crisis and Its Causes
The government's response has been mixed. While the Communist Party acknowledges "very difficult times" and calls for Díaz-Canel's "creative resistance," the regime simultaneously sent rice and milk to protest areas as a containment strategy. Additionally, internet access was restricted to hinder protest organization, as noted by Cuban-American congressman Carlos A. Giménez.
The energy crisis has specific triggers: the fall of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, cut off Venezuela's subsidized crude supply, which made up two-thirds of Cuban energy imports. An additional blow came with a fire at the Nico López refinery on February 13, further worsening the situation. These events compound the deterioration of an outdated infrastructure and an economy that has shrunk by more than 15% over five years.
Historical Context and Repression
Recent repression is a stark reality. In Villa Clara, a court sentenced six individuals to up to eight years in prison for shouting "We want power" during a blackout in November 2024, according to the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights. In January 2026, the Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 953 protests and critical expressions across the island, with 395 direct challenges to the police state, the highest number in recent history.
A staggering 80% of Cubans perceive the current crisis as worse than the Special Period of the 1990s, according to recent surveys, marking this moment as the most severe the population has faced since the Soviet collapse.
Understanding Cuba's Ongoing Crisis
What triggered the recent protests in Cuba?
The recent protests in Cuba were triggered by an unprecedented energy crisis, following the collapse of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, leading to widespread power outages.
How has the Cuban government responded to the protests?
The Cuban government's response has been mixed, acknowledging difficult times while sending food supplies to protest areas and restricting internet access to hinder protest organization.
What are the main causes of the energy crisis in Cuba?
The energy crisis in Cuba is primarily due to the cessation of subsidized Venezuelan crude supplies, a refinery fire, and the deterioration of outdated infrastructure.