The electricity supply, severely shaken by Hurricane Ian, began to be restored in neighborhoods of the city of Havana, the capital of Cuba, which had been in darkness for days. Demonstrations against the blackouts began to take on large proportions in a country of 11 million people. And who compares them to the widespread anti-government protests of 2021.
Hurricane Ian hits Cuba and forces 50,000 people to evacuate
One of the protests last Friday night brought together hundreds of people in the Playa neighborhood, where they all shouted in unison “turn on the lights“, as well as derogatory slogans from President Miguel Díaz-Canel, according to Reuters.
Without electricity since Hurricane Ian hit the island on Tuesday, a group of protesters walked in the dark, demanding their “libertad” or freedom in Portuguese.
Images circulating on social media show that small protests have begun to break out again in and around the city. Demonstrations remained mostly peaceful and restricted to places where power had not yet returned.
Awesome. East #Havana The neighborhood has electricity but continues to protest. See scenes in this series of activists forced into exile after #July 11 2021 protests https://t.co/EbD8qdMNpj
– Fabiola Santiago (@fabiolasantiago) October 2, 2022
!EXCITING MOMENT! The cry of freedom ????????????????????????, loud and clear is heard today in Playa, Havana #Cuba #CubaPaLaCalle #CubaStateFailed pic.twitter.com/aIqRRIEJrb
— Cuba News Today????????? (@noticubahoy) October 2, 2022
Cubans protest in Havana for the second night due to lack of energy – The Associated Press https://t.co/liFTaReTkE pic.twitter.com/oNV8vOfiXP
— Noah Ross (@drnoahross) October 2, 2022
“Little by little the energy is coming back. And it’s still good. The government is making a great effort, but it cannot satisfy everyone. we have so many problemsJorge Mario Gonzalez, a 57-year-old postman from Havana, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
According to local authorities, 82% of the city’s electricity has been restored, but those who remain in the dark are growing anxious. “it’s like being in hell“, affirmed Carlos Felipe García, one of the protesters from the Playa neighborhood, which continues without access to electricity, according to the same source mentioned above.
Authorities allege that restoration efforts have been hampered by roadblocks and vandalism. According to a witness heard by Reuters, the security forces blocked the main avenue with several trucks to prevent the advance of the protesters, with no records of clashes or arrests.
According to CubaHora magazine, several electricians along with volunteers work tirelessly to completely restore the electrical service. Several people try to remove rubble and rubble from the streets and peasants struggle to save their crops.
Source: Observadora
