Cubans stage rare protests amid persisting economic crisis

President points finger at US after hundreds of people demonstrate against food shortages and blackouts.

Rare protests have taken place in Cuba as the island nation’s economic crisis persists.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel called on Monday for calm, and hit out at the United States after hundreds of people gathered in Santiago the previous day to demonstrate against power blackouts and food shortages.

Social media videos showed crowds in the communist-governed country’s second-largest city chanting, “Power and food”.

A wave of blackouts has recently seen power supplies cut for up to 18 hours or more in a day. That has helped jeopardise food supplies and economic activity in the cash-strapped country.

Long stymied by US trade embargoes and more recently sanctions imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency, Cuba is battling its worst economic crisis in decades, caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the flow of much-needed tourism dollars plunge.

Diaz-Canel called for dialogue and “peace”.

“Several people have expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation of electrical service and food distribution,” he wrote on X.

“The disposition of the authorities of the party, the state and the government is to attend to the complaints of our people, listen, dialogue, explain the numerous efforts that are being carried out to improve the situation, always in an atmosphere of tranquility and peace,” he added.

Varias personas han expresado su inconformidad con la situación del servicio eléctrico y la distribución de alimentos.

Este contexto se intenta aprovechar por los enemigos de la Revolución, con fines desestabilizadores.

— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) March 18, 2024

The president blamed government “enemies” and “mediocre politicians and terrorists” in the US for trying to hijack the protests.

The US embassy in Havana said in a post on X that it had also received reports of protests in Bayamo, Granma and other locations.

It urged the government “to respect the human rights of the protesters and address the legitimate needs of the Cuban people”.

The protests in Santiago were peaceful as demonstrators shouted, “Down with communism. Down with Diaz-Canal.” Videos on social media showed no signs of scuffles or arrests as the protests were watched by a large number of state security forces.

However, internet services were throttled late on Sunday until early Monday, according to some reports.

We’re seeing a five-hour dip in traffic to #Cuba coinciding with reports of a disruption in mobile service following protests in Santiago de Cuba earlier today.

Dip in traffic begins at 19:20 UTC (3:20pm ET) and lasted until 00:30 UTC (8:30pm ET). pic.twitter.com/hXAlmwswm3

— Doug Madory (@DougMadory) March 18, 2024

Havana cracked down heavily on large protests in July 2021, the widest demonstrations seen in Cuba since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. The response was criticised by the international community.

Since 1960, the US has maintained an economic embargo on Cuba, which restricts trade between the countries.

For the first time, Cuba turned to the UN’s World Food Programme in February, requesting help in supplying milk to children, the organisation said.