Cuban protesters ransack Communist office as energy crisis deepens

Discontent is mounting over rolling blackouts and shortages of food, fuel and medicine, exacerbated by a US blockade.

A protest in Morón, central Cuba, led to the partial destruction of the local Communist Party headquarters and resulted in five arrests. The demonstration was fueled by the island’s ongoing energy and food supply crises. Protesters vandalized the building, set reception furniture on fire, and damaged nearby stores, including a drugstore. The Cuban government attributed the unrest to public frustration over worsening blackouts, as the country has not received oil shipments in three months due to what it calls a U.S. energy blockade.

In March 2026, students at Havana University staged a sit-in protest over disruptions to their education caused by Cuba’s worsening energy crisis. The crisis, intensified by a U.S. oil blockade, has led to power outages, limited transportation, and reduced or online-only classes, with many students struggling to access unreliable internet. The First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Modesto Ricardo Gómez, addressed the protesters, blaming the situation on the U.S. blockade and calling it a 'criminal and genocidal' act that is devastating society.

En la madrugada del sábado 14 de marzo de 2026, un grupo de manifestantes atacó la sede del Partido Comunista en Morón, en el centro de Cuba, en protesta por la grave crisis energética que afecta al país. Videos en redes sociales mostraron el edificio en llamas, muebles siendo arrojados por las ventanas y hogueras callejeras. Cinco personas fueron detenidas. El Ministerio del Interior calificó el incidente como un acto vandálico surgido tras una protesta inicialmente pacífica contra los apagones y la escasez de alimentos.