MIAMI, United States. – Dozens of residents in the head of the municipality of Encrucijada, in the province of Villa Claratook to the streets and protested to the rhythm of pots and pans in front of the headquarters of the Municipal Assembly of People’s Power on Thursday night due to a blackout that lasted for 48 uninterrupted hours.
The protest, which forced local authorities to appear before the protesters, ended with the restoration of power supply.
The demonstration, captured in videos circulating on social networks, shows residents gathered in front of the local government building, banging pots and pans as a sign of discontent over the prolonged lack of electricity.
“They are not going to silence us! The people are more! can be heard saying to one of the protesters. “Crossroads in the street! In front of People’s Power!” wrote on Facebook the academic Omara Ruiz Urquiola.
another videoposted by user Glenda Rancano, shows nighttime scenes of the protest, where another protester can be heard shouting: “The people united will never be defeated!”
After the public demonstrations, the Villa Clara Electric Company announced through its Telegram channel that electrical service had been restored on several lines in the municipality, including circuits 78 (Jutiero), 122 (Encrucijada), 123 (Vizcaya) and 142 (La Sierra Community).
Simultaneously, the organization Justicia 11J reported arrests in the town of Manicaragua, also in Villa Clara. This entity has reported that, between August 18 and 31, at least 51 public protest events were recorded in the country, which included confrontations with authorities, banging pots and pans, street closures, posting of posters and damage to state property.
Last Wednesday, the Cuban authorities announced the total disconnection of the National Electroenergy System (SEN) supposedly due to the impact of Hurricane Rafael. This is the second total blackout in the country in less than a month (the previous one began on October 18 and lasted around four days).
After that blackout, Justicia 11J reported the arrest of at least five people: Raymond Márquez, Narbiel Torres and Osvaldo Agüero in Manicaragua, Villa Clara; and Luis Adrian Pupo in Songo La Maya, Santiago de Cuba.
In the midst of the total blackout, the Cuban ruler, Miguel Díaz-Canel, threatened to citizens who protested the energy collapse. In the video of a meeting released by the Presidency’s office, Díaz-Canel assured that his government was not going to accept or allow “anyone to act causing vandalism and much less altering the citizen tranquility of our people.”
“That is a conviction and that is a principle of our Revolution,” concluded the ruler, whose “battle array” during the demonstrations of July 11, 2021 It has transcended as a call for civil war between Cubans.
