Cuban authorities have arrested a number of people for disorderly behaviour after protests over blackouts that lasted for days broke out in recent weeks.
Cuba’s Attorney General’s office said it started criminal proceedings against people in Cuba’s capital Havana, the province of Mayabeque and the city of Ciego de Avila for “assault, disorderly behavior and damages” imprisoning them in what it said was a precautionary measure.
The statement didn’t provide details about how many people were detained, or the conditions in which they were arrested, saying only that “aggression towards authorities” resulted in injuries.
Cuba often levels such charges against citizens that protest on the island, including teenagers, fueling concerns by human rights groups, the European Union and the United States.
On the same day Cuban authorities announced the arrests, the organization Justicia11J posted on social media saying it confirmed that authorities had arrested at least three people protesting in Ciego de Avila on Nov. 7.
“After the town was without electricity for more than 24 hours, the people of the town took to the streets banging on kettles and chanting ‘turn on the power’,” the organization wrote in a post.
The arrests come after the island was slammed by two hurricanes in a matter of weeks, compounded by sometimes dayslong power blackouts due to the country’s energy crisis and strong winds from the hurricane.
Category 3 Hurricane Rafael barreled through the western half of the island, knocking out the entire country’s power grid. While authorities have been able to restore some power in central hubs like Havana, many on the island are still without electricity and running water.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in eastern Cuba on Sunday morning only added to the country’s woes.
On top of the natural disasters, frustrations on the island have simmered due to an economic crisis and soaring prices for petrol and food, leaving average Cubans scrambling to buy even the most basic items like chicken and eggs.
