Havana – Tonight protests were recorded in the municipality of Marianao, in Havana, where several neighbors took to the streets with pans and barricades to express their discontent before the prolonged blackouts and the critical economic situation that the country is going through.
Videos spread on social networks show dozens of people in the Santa Felicia area, near 51 avenue, hitting cauldrons and blocking the road while shouting slogans against the Cuban regime.
Cubanet confirmed the fact with residents of the area, who assured that the demonstrations occurred after more than nine hours without electricity.
“Yes, in 51 and 88b they closed the avenue. They played cauldrons throughout the neighborhood, but as always someone warned and the police truck came. It had been removed for four days to take it off and put every 10 or 15 minutes, and today it had gone from two in the afternoon,” said a neighbor who asked to maintain anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Another resident commented irony with the speed with which the regime restored the electrical service after the cacerolazos:
“That is the new sound for thermoelectricas to work. They spent all day taking it away and putting it, as soon as the cauldrons were heard and the chivatientes from the area came out. Then they supposed the current and have not taken it more,” he said.
A third neighbor explained that discomfort is not only due to blackouts, but also to uncertainty and lack of basic services:
“From the seven who put the light removed four times. How are people not going to throw themselves for the street? Today we were without current from two in the afternoon, it is too much: heat, uncertainty … until this misfortune will be. And to top it off, almost all day without the Internet,” he told Cubanet.
The videos were initially disseminated by the Cuban rapper, the Cuban funky and newspaper replicated by several digital platforms, including Cubans around the world, showing the dark streets and the tension atmosphere that is lived in the neighborhood.
So far, the authorities have not issued any official pronouncement on protests or possible arrests.
