Protest in central Cuba at local communist headquarters ends in 5 arrests


HAVANA (AP) — A group of residents of a city in central Cuba took to the streets early Saturday and partially destroyed the local headquarters of the ruling communist party. Authorities said that five people were arrested in a demonstration that was linked to the island’s energy supply issues and access to food.

The Cuban government said through official media that “vandalism acts” in Moron were directed at the building, while a smaller group also threw stones and set the reception furniture on fire. Videos published on social media showed that a drugstore and a store were also affected.

Cuba’s government said that its interior ministry has opened an investigation into the case. The country has suffered more blackouts and lack of fuel since other countries of the region stopped sending oil.

On Friday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that he was holding talks with the U.S. government, marking the first time the Caribbean country has confirmed widespread speculation about discussions with the Trump administration as it grapples with a severe energy crisis.

Díaz-Canel said that no petroleum shipments have arrived in Cuba in the past three months, and blamed a U.S. energy blockade for that. He said that the island is running on a mixture of natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants.

Cuban authorities also say the depletion of fuel oil and diesel forced two power plants to shut down and has limited the generation of power at solar parks. The most recent blackout was blamed on a broken boiler at a thermoelectric plant that forced the shutdown of Cuba’s power grid.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

The Associated Press



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