Massive protests break out against the Cuban regime after one of the worst humanitarian crises in the island's history
Voz MediaMar 18
Cuba: Protests Erupt Over Power Blackouts, Food Shortages
The Facts
A group of protestors took to the streets in the eastern Cuban city of Santiago on Sunday against lengthy power outages and food shortages across the country, reportedly facing its most severe economic crisis ever.
Videos posted online showed hundreds of Cubans chanting "electricity and food" and "we are hungry" in the island's second-largest city amid the presence of military forces.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The communist regime of Cuba has yet again resorted to shutting down internet access and communications to hide protests as if this could hold back a populist social demonstration on the island. Cubans may have long been familiar with hunger and poverty under an undemocratic regime that deceived them with promises of a better future. However, they are fed up, and this crisis will likely be the last straw.
Establishment-critical narrative
As if strangling the Cuban economy for decades with a genocidal blockade wasn't enough, Washington now outrageously seeks to exploit the shortages that its policies created on the island to promote social disorder as well as an artificial counterrevolutionary campaign. Meanwhile, Havana works tirelessly to improve the situation and attend to the demands of its people despite current limitations.
Nerd narrative
There's a 7% chance that Cuba will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.