A major avenue in Havana was blocked by protesters on Tuesday when Cubans took to the streets to express their frustration over power outages and the lack of water. The communist dictatorship dispatched police and State Security agents to quash the protest, but not before a witness was able to record the manifestation on video.
On the morning of this Tuesday, dozens of Cubans living in areas of the Boyeros municipality, who have been without electricity and water for a week, blocked traffic on Rancho Boyeros Avenue and the 100 Bridge in protest of the prolonged disruption of these essential services.
Images published by the independent outlet Cubanet showed how traffic was partially disrupted on the central avenue after several individuals placed branches in the middle of the road to draw the government’s attention to the critical situation they are facing.
“Immediately, the regime deployed a heavy police presence and halted the protest. Shortly after, they sent officials to persuade the residents to wait ‘calmly’ for the return of electricity and water,” noted journalist Mario J. Pentón while sharing other images of the protest on X.
In the video, a few protesters can be seen in the middle of the road, facing off against some uniformed officers, as well as a few drivers who are annoyed by the situation.
The witness who recorded the event noted that some were asking for support for those who were protesting, although in reality, most people were just recording what was happening with their phones.
#Últimominuto
— El Toque (@eltoquecom) November 12, 2024
Personas protestan en Boyeros, La Habana, por los interminables días de apagón. Los manifestantes han cerrado la avenida para visibilizar su reclamo. pic.twitter.com/1X9IfiRudI
Cubans have been suffering through prolonged blackouts and lack of running water due to a crumbling infrastructure caused by the criminal neglect of the communist Castro dictatorship. The misery and desperation suffered by Cubans at the hands of the corrupt regime has overtaken their fear, and they are now openly protesting the government.