Rare unrest erupts as blackouts, shortages and rising prices fuel public anger
Protesters in Cuba have ransacked a local Communist Party building following a demonstration over soaring food prices and persistent power cuts, marking a rare public display of dissent in the country.
Don’t miss the latest headlines from Thailand and around the world. Get the Asean Now Briefing newsletter, delivered daily. Sign up here.
Authorities said five people were arrested after a small group vandalised the party offices overnight in the central city of Morón.
The unrest comes as frustration grows across the island over rolling blackouts and widespread shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
Protest turns violent
According to Cuba’s Interior Ministry, the protest began as a peaceful rally but escalated into vandalism later in the evening.
State media reported that a group of demonstrators threw stones at the entrance of the local headquarters of the Communist Party of Cuba and removed furniture from inside the building.
The furniture was then set on fire in the street outside the offices.
Other nearby state-run facilities, including a pharmacy and a government-operated market, were also targeted during the unrest.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show protesters shouting “liberty” while flames burned in the street outside the building.
Government response
President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that many of the demonstrators’ complaints were legitimate but condemned the destruction of property.
He said that while citizens’ grievances were understandable, “violence and vandalism that threatens citizen tranquility” would not be tolerated.
Writing on the social media platform X (Twitter), Díaz-Canel said the country’s prolonged power outages had caused understandable distress.
He blamed the worsening crisis on what he described as a tightening U.S. blockade that has severely limited the island’s access to fuel.
Energy crisis pushes economy to brink
Cuba’s economy has been under growing pressure as the island struggles with an energy shortage that has disrupted daily life.
The government says no fuel shipments have reached the country in three months due to restrictions imposed by the administration of Donald Trump.
Havana relies heavily on imported fuel to generate electricity, and the supply shortages have triggered rolling blackouts across the country.
In the capital Havana, residents have endured outages lasting as long as 15 hours per day, while services such as rubbish collection, hospital operations, transport and education have also been affected.
Talks with Washington
The protest occurred just hours after the Cuban government confirmed it had opened talks with the United States to try to resolve long-standing disputes between the two countries.
Díaz-Canel said the negotiations aim to “seek solutions through dialogue” to bilateral tensions.
Washington has significantly increased pressure on Havana in recent months.
Trump has openly expressed support for political change on the island and recently warned that Cuba was in “deep trouble.”
He has also threatened what he described as a possible “friendly takeover” of the country’s government.
Growing unrest
Public protests remain uncommon in Cuba, where political dissent has historically been tightly controlled.
Although the country’s 2019 constitution formally recognizes the right to protest, legislation defining how demonstrations can legally take place has yet to be passed.
In recent weeks, frustration over the energy crisis has led to a rise in smaller acts of protest.
Many Cubans have taken to banging pots and pans at night — a traditional form of protest in Latin America known as a cacerolazo — to express anger over the prolonged blackouts.
Earlier this month, students at University of Havana staged a demonstration over disruptions to their education caused by the power shortages.
As the economic crisis deepens, analysts say similar protests could become more common across the island.
Join the discussion? 
Already a member? 
Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 14 Mar 2026