Residents of a central Cuban city stormed the local Communist Party headquarters on Saturday, partially destroying the building and setting furniture on fire. Cuban authorities said the demonstration was tied to the island’s worsening energy crisis and shortages of food, and they announced that five participants were taken into custody.
Official statements described the acts as “vandalism” directed at the party headquarters, adding that a smaller group threw stones and ignited reception area furniture. Social‑media videos captured collateral damage to a nearby drugstore and another retail outlet.
Cuba’s interior ministry has opened an investigation into the incident. The government noted that the country has endured an uptick in blackouts and fuel shortages since regional oil shipments ceased, exacerbating public discontent.
President Miguel Díaz‑Canel used the occasion to confirm that he is holding talks with the U.S. government, marking the first official acknowledgment of speculation about discussions with the Trump administration. He reported that no petroleum shipments have arrived in Cuba for the past three months, attributing the halt to a U.S. energy blockade. Consequently, the island now relies on a blend of natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants.
The administration also said that depleted fuel oil and diesel reserves forced the shutdown of two power plants and limited electricity generation at solar parks. The latest blackout, officials said, stemmed from a broken boiler at a thermoelectric plant that forced the national grid offline.
The protests and the government’s response highlight Cuba’s deepening energy emergency and growing public frustration over basic services, even as diplomatic overtures with the United States emerge amid the crisis.