Protesters attack office of the Communist Party of Cuba, in rare revolt against blackouts

Trump wages economic pressure campaign against Cuba and blocks oil sales Anti-government protesters attacked a Communist Party office in central Cuba in the early hours of Saturday (14), a state newspaper reported, in a rare explosion of public dissent triggered by blackouts exacerbated by a US oil blockade. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp A demonstration against power cuts and food shortages appeared to have started peacefully in the city of Morón, on Friday night (13), but turned violent in the early hours of Saturday morning, reported the newspaper Invasor. Videos on social media showed a huge fire and people throwing rocks at the windows of a building while protesters shouted “freedom” in the background. See the videos that are trending on g1 Reuters was able to verify the location of a video in Morón, which is on the north coast of Cuba, about 400 km east of the capital Havana, near the tourist resort of Cayo Coco. Checks showed that the video was recent, but the exact date could not be identified. Incident amid tension between the US and Cuba, following the imposition of an oil embargo on the island by Washington CTK Photo/IMAGO via DW US blockade The United States has tightened the fence against Cuba since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — Cuba’s most important foreign benefactor — in January. US President Donald Trump has cut Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, increasing pressure on an economy already struggling with shortages of food, fuel, electricity and medicine. In recent weeks, Trump has made a series of statements, saying Cuba is on the brink of collapse or eager to make a deal with the US. Cuba’s government said on Friday that it had begun talks with Washington to try to defuse the crisis. Public protests, especially violent ones, are extremely rare in Cuba. Its 2019 constitution grants citizens the right to demonstrate, but a law more specifically defining that right is stalled in Congress, leaving those who take to the streets in legal limbo. “What initially began peacefully and, after an exchange with local authorities, turned into acts of vandalism against the headquarters of the Municipal Party Committee,” said the newspaper Invasor. “A smaller group of people stoned the entrance to the building and set fire to the street with furniture from the reception area,” he added. Vandals attacked several other state-owned establishments in the area, including a pharmacy and a government market, according to the newspaper. On Monday, students demonstrated on the steps of the University of Havana after the government suspended in-person classes, blaming the US oil blockade. Fuel shortages have greatly reduced public transportation, making it difficult, if not impossible, for teachers and students to get together for classes. Morón was also the site of significant protests during the anti-government riots on July 11, 2021, the largest since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.

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