"Turn on the light." Cubans protest against authorities amid total blackout
Hundreds of enraged Cubans took to the streets of Havana, protesting against fuel shortages. People blocked roads with burning piles of rubbish, banged pots and pans, shouted anti-government slogans and chanted: "Turn on the light!" and "The people, united, will never be defeated!". This is the largest wave of protests in Havana since the start of the energy crisis in January, writes the Russian service of the BBC.
In Havana, a man cooks over a bonfire during a power outage, May 13, 2026. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
Earlier, Cuba's Minister of Energy Vicente de la O Levy stated that the island had completely run out of fuel oil and diesel, which left the energy system in a "critical condition."
In some areas of Havana, there has been no electricity for 20-22 hours a day.
Against this backdrop, the US on Wednesday again offered Cuba $100 million in humanitarian aid – in exchange for "substantial reforms of the island's communist system."
The situation sharply deteriorated after January, when US President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly stated his intention to achieve a change in Cuba's communist government, strengthened the embargo and threatened tariffs on countries supplying fuel to the island.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on social media on May 13 that the cause of the energy crisis was the actions of the United States, while acknowledging that the situation on the island was "particularly tense."
"This dramatic deterioration has one cause – the genocidal energy blockade that the United States is subjecting our country to, threatening irrational tariffs on any state that supplies us with fuel," he stated.
Cuba usually depended on oil supplies from Venezuela and Mexico for its refineries. However, both countries largely halted supplies after US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on states sending fuel to the island.
Two days ago, Trump announced that Cuba was "collapsing" and had asked for negotiations itself, but provided no specific details.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the parties for "meaningful dialogue," emphasizing that there is no military solution to the crisis.
Earlier this month, Trump stated that in the event of an armed conflict, the United States would take control of Cuba "almost immediately."
Protests erupted simultaneously in several districts of Havana.
"We have many elderly people living here, many are bedridden. Food is spoiling," said Rodolfo Alonso, a resident of the capital who works in the state sector, to Reuters.
According to him, he decided to join the protest after his Playa district had been without electricity for more than 40 hours.
"We started banging pots and pans just to get at least three hours of light. We don't need anything else. This is not a political protest," he said.
Reuters journalists report that in several cases, electricity was restored precisely in the areas where the protests were taking place. After this, crowds of men, women, and children applauded and quickly dispersed.
Increased police patrols were on duty at the locations, but security forces mostly observed from the sidelines and did not intervene.
Earlier the same day, Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines made a statement.
"We have absolutely no fuel oil or diesel. There are no reserves left. The only thing we have is gas from our fields, where extraction has increased," said Vicente de la O Levy on state television.
According to him, power outages, lasting 20-22 hours a day, have further exacerbated tensions in the city, already exhausted by shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.
Hospitals in Cuba can no longer operate normally, schools and government institutions are forced to close. The crisis has also hit tourism – one of the key sectors of the Cuban economy.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Cuban authorities had refused $100 million in American humanitarian aid. Havana denied this accusation.
On Wednesday, the US State Department again confirmed its readiness to provide aid, clarifying that it plans to distribute it in coordination with the Catholic Church and "reliable" humanitarian organizations.
"The choice remains with the Cuban regime: to accept our offer of assistance or to reject vital support and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for hindering critically needed aid," the statement said.
Washington's pressure on Cuba intensified in early May when the US introduced a new package of sanctions against high-ranking Cuban officials, accusing them of human rights violations.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez called these sanctions illegal.
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