A woman suffered serious injuries on Tuesday, July 29, after being hit by a vehicle during a "cacerolazo" protest in Lawton, a neighborhood in the Diez de Octubre municipality of Havana. Residents had gathered to express outrage over the ongoing power outages plaguing the area.
Despite the presence of police officers, the driver was not apprehended, according to witnesses who spoke to CubaNet in a video released that day.
Eyewitness accounts are clear and damning. "The car ran over her, the police did nothing, nobody moved, nobody chased the car, nobody did anything," recounted one person present at the scene.
Another witness described the vehicle as a "dron"—a Cuban colloquialism for the vintage cars manufactured before 1959—and shared suspicions that "it seems like that guy was one of them," suggesting the driver could be affiliated with the regime's enforcers.
The current health status of the victim remains unknown, and the Cuban government has yet to issue any official statement regarding the incident.
Speculation of Intentional Action
The passive response by police to the hit-and-run stokes speculation that the incident may have been deliberate, potentially serving as a new tactic in suppressing protests.
While still an unconfirmed theory, this idea gains traction in a climate where the regime has increasingly resorted to summons, fines, and arrests to quash public demonstrations.
Protest Escalation in Lawton
Lawton has seen at least four documented protests in July. On July 18, a cacerolazo with trash burning took place on Dolores Street, accompanied by military and police vehicle presence.
By July 19, residents were chanting for "light" and "freedom." Protests continued on July 24 and 25, spreading to multiple parts of Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Cienfuegos.
The vehicle attack is part of a broader crackdown across the capital. In El Fanguito, a neighborhood in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality, residents who have protested three times in two months are being individually summoned and fined 7,000 pesos.
Broader Repressive Measures
Following a blockade of Avenue 23 on Wednesday, State Security arrested two mothers, and an officer was recorded threatening residents against further protests.
A protester from El Fanguito, speaking anonymously to the media, summed up the situation: "They're calling us out just for protesting or asking for what we need." She added, "We’re not saying 'down with' or 'up with' anything, because then they'd make us disappear. We just want the power restored like everyone else."
The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights documented 1,949 repressive actions and 257 arbitrary detentions in the first half of 2026, with 107 protests in June alone, 82 of which occurred in Havana. Despite Tuesday's incident, Lawton residents remained undeterred, continuing their protest by banging pots and pans.
Key Questions About the Lawton Protest Incident
What prompted the protest in Lawton?
The protest in Lawton was triggered by prolonged power outages affecting the area.
What was the police response to the incident?
Despite being present at the scene, the police did not intervene or pursue the driver involved in the hit-and-run.
What are "drones" in the context of Cuban protests?
In Cuban slang, "drones" refers to old cars manufactured before 1959, often used in protests as symbols of resistance.