Residents in Central Havana Protest with Pans and Fires, Demanding Police to Leave

In the heart of Centro Habana, on the streets of Consulado and Refugio, residents erupted in protest on Sunday, banging pots and lighting fires after enduring prolonged power outages. Journalist Mario J. Pentón captured the scene in a video shared on Facebook, which shows the arrival of police and the fervent response from the protesters.

Despite the police presence, the crowd remained defiant. The video captures shouts of exasperation: "Why are you here? To beat us?" "Dogs!"... "Get out of here!" This moment underscores the escalating tension between citizens and law enforcement, a scenario becoming increasingly common in the Cuban capital.

The unrest on Consulado and Refugio is not an isolated incident. Just a day prior, residents in Lawton, part of the Diez de Octubre district, also took to the streets with pots and fires, demanding "We want electricity!" and "Freedom!" On Friday, June 17, the people of Dolores Street, also in Lawton, set fire to trash in protest. Meanwhile, another cacerolazo shook El Vedado on Thursday after 30 hours without power.

Rising Protests in Key Areas

Centro Habana, particularly the Cayo Hueso neighborhood, has become a hub for popular dissent. On July 8, a large gathering outside the Lázaro Peña Theater chanted slogans like "Freedom!" and "We want freedom, not just power." Earlier, on June 30, residents of Salud Street staged a daylight pot-banging protest after enduring over 28 hours without electricity, gas, or water. Just days later, on July 3, Consulado and Ánimas corner witnessed the violent arrest of activist Leonardo Romero Negrín during another protest.

The Energy Crisis Unfolds

At the root of these protests lies an unprecedented energy crisis. In July 2026, Cuba's National Electrical System experienced three complete blackouts within eight days—on July 6, 10, and 14—the latter marking the fifth total blackout of the year. The energy shortfall reached a historic peak of 2,341 MW in July, leaving approximately 73% of Cubans without electricity. In regions like Matanzas, outages extended beyond 87 continuous hours.

This crisis stems from systemic issues that the regime has neither addressed nor resolved. The country's thermoelectric infrastructure has suffered from decades of neglect. The Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, Cuba's largest, has disconnected from the grid 17 times this year. Additionally, the cessation of Venezuelan oil supplies in January—previously crucial to bridging the gap between Cuba's 40,000 barrels per day production and its 90,000 to 110,000 daily requirement—has exacerbated the situation.

The Government's Response

The regime's reaction to the growing protests follows a familiar script: deploying police, making arrests, and cutting internet access. The organization Cubalex reported at least 38 arrests linked to recent cacerolazos. Residents and activists also claim that the government restores power during protests as a tactic to quell them. Meanwhile, President Miguel Díaz-Canel has not proposed structural solutions but instead called for "better organization" of the blackouts, with the government blaming the United States for the crisis.

June 2026 saw 107 street protests across Cuba, the highest monthly total to date, with 82 occurring in Havana. The demands have evolved beyond power restoration to include calls for freedom and political change. Comments on social media following Pentón's video expressed solidarity with the protestors, highlighting the unsustainable situation in the capital.