Several arrests in Cuba after demonstrations against power cuts – rts.ch

“Criminal proceedings are underway for offenses of attack, disturbance of public order and damage,” the prosecution said in a press release, without specifying the number of people concerned.

These arrests took place in Havana and in the provinces of Mayabeque (west) and Ciego de Avila (center), according to the same source.

>> Also read: Almost all residents of the Cuban capital have power restored after four days in the dark

According to the Mexico-based human rights organization Justicia 11J, more than ten people were arrested in Guanabacoa, on the outskirts of Havana, after protesting by banging pots and pans in the streets of the town near Havana Thursday evening. Two other demonstrations took place at the same time in Havana, the organization said on X.

According to the Cubalex association, based in Miami (United States), eight people were also arrested in Encrucijada, in central Cuba.

An electrical system on the brink of collapse

Hurricane Rafael, which hit the west of the island on Wednesday, caused another widespread power outage in the country for two days. According to the government, electricity was restored to most of the country on Friday.

By October, the electricity system had already completely collapsed, leaving 10 million Cubans without power for four days.

>> Also read: Hurricane Rafael hits Cuba and the island is once again plunged into darkness

Shaken by a deep economic crisis for four years, Cuba is experiencing a tense energy situation, with recurring power cuts and frequent breakdowns at its power plants.

These outages had already been one of the triggers of the historic anti-government protest movement of July 11, 2021. Around 1,500 people were arrested, some 600 of whom are still in prison, sentenced to sentences of up to 25 years, according to Justicia 11J.

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