Protesters in Cuba attack Communist party office amid blackout fury
Videos on social media show a large fire and people throwing rocks through the windows of a building
Anti-government protesters attacked a Communist party office in northern Cuba early on Saturday, a state-run newspaper reported, in a rare outburst of public dissent triggered by worsening blackouts that have been exacerbated by a US oil blockade.
A rally against power cuts and food shortages appeared to begin peacefully in the city of Moron late on Friday then turned violent in the early hours of Saturday morning, Invasor newspaper said.
Videos on social media showed a large fire and people throwing rocks through the windows of a building as voices shouted “liberty” in the background.
Reuters was unable to confirm the authenticity of videos that posters said showed the unrest in Moron, a city on Cuba’s northern coast about 250 miles (400km) east of the capital Havana near the tourist resort of Cayo Coco.
The United States has tightened the screws on Cuba this year since capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro – Cuba’s most important foreign benefactor – in January.
US President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to slap tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, piling pressure on the economy already struggling with shortages of food, fuel, electricity and medicine.