On Thursday evening, residents of El Cotorro, a district in Havana, staged a pot-banging protest during a power outage, marking the seventh consecutive day of demonstrations against the city's ongoing electricity crisis.
Footage shared on social media by activist Magdiel Jorge Castro captures the sound of banging pots and chants of protest, as the neighborhood remains shrouded in darkness due to the power cut.
One of the messages accompanying the video from the area voices the frustration of the locals: "We've had enough... endless days and nights," emphasizing the relentless nature of the situation.
The blackout was so severe that the protesters are barely visible in the recordings, though the clamor of the pots and the anti-regime chants are unmistakable.
Earlier in the evening, a protest was also reported in El Cerro, where residents ignited a trash pile, prompting a response from the fire brigade.
In a separate incident, intellectual Alina Bárbara López Hernández from Matanzas reported similar protests in response to the power outages.
The pot-banging demonstration in El Cotorro adds to a series of protests that have erupted across various neighborhoods in Havana in recent days, including Lawton, Santos Suárez, Vedado, Guanabacoa, La Lisa, and El Cerro.
These protests are taking place amid extended blackouts that have affected thousands of Havana's residents, creating an atmosphere of escalating social tension in the capital.
Understanding the Protests Against Power Outages in Havana
What triggered the pot-banging protests in El Cotorro?
The protests were sparked by ongoing power outages in El Cotorro, which are part of a broader electricity crisis affecting Havana and causing widespread frustration among residents.
Who is Magdiel Jorge Castro?
Magdiel Jorge Castro is an activist who shared footage of the protest in El Cotorro on social media, helping to bring attention to the situation.
How have the authorities responded to these protests?
In El Cerro, authorities responded to a protest by sending the fire brigade to extinguish a trash fire set by residents. Overall, the response has varied depending on the location and scale of the protests.