Cuba Marks 5 Years Since 11J Protests Amid Severe Crisis, Repression

Five years after the massive social unrest of July 11, 2021 (11J), Cuba is grappling with a profound economic and energy crisis, marked by daily protests and a rising number of political prisoners.

The anniversary coincides with increased pressure from Washington, including an oil blockade and new sanctions, which have paralyzed the island and severely deteriorated already precarious living conditions. This week alone, Cuba experienced two nationwide blackouts, bringing the total to four this year. Even under normal circumstances, Havana receives only one to two hours of electricity daily, with provincial outages lasting up to three consecutive days.

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The deepening structural deficiencies and inequalities can produce an event similar to 11J.

In this context, peaceful protests demanding basic services like electricity, water, and food occur daily, primarily in Havana. Social discontent manifests through "cacerolazos" (pot-banging), street blockades, and garbage fires. Some Cuban dissidents view the 11J as a historic and irreversible break in the relationship between society and the state, noting that the current atmosphere on the island is ripe for further protest.

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From 11J onwards, the Cuban civilian population has not stopped going out into the street (to protest).

Opposition figure Manuel Cuesta Morúa suggests that the deepening structural deficiencies and inequalities could trigger an event similar to 11J. Marthadela Tamayo acknowledges that while no demonstration has matched the scale of 11J, current conditions make another such uprising possible. Cuesta Morúa further argues that ongoing protests signify a "reconfiguration" of the relationship between Cuban society and the state, breaking the "historic contract" between the people and the revolutionary government.

Laritza Diversent, director of Cubalex, stated that since the 11J protests, the Cuban civilian population has continuously taken to the streets. She highlights a "change of perspective within the citizenry," which has developed new mechanisms for expressing dissent. However, Cuesta Morúa notes that the Cuban government is hardening its response, imprisoning and imposing harsh sanctions on protesters to signal its determination to suppress public discontent. The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) reported at least 1,949 repressive actions in the first half of the year, denouncing a "grave repressive situation."

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The Cuban government hardens its response, imprisoning and imposing harsh sanctions on some of those who protest, as a message about its determination to curb the manifest discontent of citizens.