Protesters in the central Cuban city of Sancti SpΓritus attacked a local office of the ruling Communist Party early on Saturday, March 15, 2026. The incident reflects escalating public frustration over severe and prolonged electricity blackouts affecting the island.
Videos verified by international news agencies show a crowd outside the vandalized building, with some individuals throwing objects. Cuban authorities confirmed the attack and reported several arrests, labeling the event as an act of vandalism by a small group.
The protests are directly linked to a severe energy crisis. Cuba has been suffering daily power cuts lasting up to 20 hours in some areas, crippling daily life and the economy. The government attributes the crisis to chronic fuel shortages, aging infrastructure, and the long-standing U.S. economic embargo, which restricts access to fuel and spare parts.
Similar, though smaller, protests over blackouts and food shortages have occurred in recent weeks in other provinces. The Cuban government has acknowledged the severity of the energy situation but has offered no immediate solution to the systemic problems causing the outages.
