Hurricane Oscar leaves at least six dead in Cuba as a massive blackout halts activities and triggers protests

Hurricane Oscar aftermath in Cuba leads to prolonged blackout, protests, and economic crisis, with government warning against unrest.

Cuba's capital remained largely paralyzed on Monday (October 21, 2024) and the rest of the island braced for the fourth night of a massive blackout that has generated a handful of small protests and a stern government warning that any unrest will be punished.

Hurricane Oscar made landfall Sunday before crossing the island’s eastern coast as a tropical storm Monday (October 21) with winds and heavy rain, leaving at least 6 dead after a night that saw protests by several dozen people in urban neighborhoods like Santos Suárez and central Havana.

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Some banged pots and pans in the streets, while others demonstrated from their balconies. Protesters who said they have no water blocked at least one street with garbage.

“The country has completely halted,” said homemaker Mayde Quiñones, 55. She cares for her mother-in-law, who is in her 80s. “This hurts everyone, but the elderly most of all."

The Cuban government has a low tolerance for civil disobedience. President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned on national television Sunday (October 20) that “we're not going to allow any vandalism, or let anyone disturb people's tranquility."

The prolonged nationwide blackout followed a massive outage Thursday night, part of energy problems that led to the largest protests in Cuba in almost 30 years, in July 2021. Those were followed by smaller local protests in October 2022 and March 2024.