Cuban authorities make arrests after protests

Photo: Yamil Lage Agence France-Presse People charge their cell phones after Hurricane Rafael, which affected electricity service, near Havana, Cuba, on November 8, 2024.

Andrea Rodríguez – Associated Press in Havana

Published yesterday at 9:35 p.m.

• Americas

Cuban authorities announced Sunday that they had arrested a number of people for disturbing public order, following protests that broke out in recent weeks against power cuts on the island that lasted for several days.

Cuba’s attorney general’s office announced that it had filed criminal charges against individuals in Havana, the capital, in Mayabeque province and in the city of Ciego de Ávila for “aggression, disturbance of public order and damage,” detaining them as a preventive measure.

The statement did not provide details on the number of people detained or the conditions in which they were arrested, saying only that “aggression against authorities” resulted in injuries.

Cuba often brings such charges against citizens protesting on the island, including teenagers, fueling concerns among human rights groups, the European Union and the United States.

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The same day that Cuban authorities announced the arrests, the organization Justicia11J posted a message on social media confirming that authorities had arrested at least three people who were protesting in Ciego de Ávila on November 7.

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“After the city was without electricity for more than “For 24 hours, city residents took to the streets banging on kettles and chanting 'turn on the power,'” the organization wrote in its post.

The arrests come after the island was hit by two hurricanes in a matter of weeks and power outages sometimes lasted for days due to the country's energy crisis and high winds brought by the hurricanes.

Category 3 hurricane Rafael slammed into the western half of the island, knocking out the country's entire power grid. While authorities have been able to restore some power in urban centers like Havana, many islanders are still without electricity and running water.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Cuba on Sunday morning has only added to the country's woes.

In addition to natural disasters, frustrations on the island have intensified due to an economic crisis as well as soaring gasoline and food prices, forcing ordinary Cubans to scramble to afford basic necessities.

These problems have driven hundreds of thousands of Cubans to leave the country in recent years and have also fueled protests, which have been met with similar crackdowns by the Cuban government.

In July 2021, food shortages sparked the largest mass anti-government protests in decades. These protests, which have been marked by some instances of looting and violence by protesters, have been harshly repressed by the Cuban government.

Although no official figures have been provided, nongovernmental monitoring groups have reported that approximately 1,000 people have been arrested, 700 of whom have been brought to court. Many protesters have been charged with sabotage, robbery with violence, assault, and disturbing the peace, although many family members of those arrested insist that their children were not involved in any violent crimes.

The protests were followed by smaller demonstrations in October 2022 and again in March this year.