The Cuban prosecutor’s office announced the arrest of rioters in Havana, Mayabeque and Ciego de Avila in connection with attacks on government officials amid another power outage.
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“In Havana, Mayabeque and Ciego de Avila, criminal cases were initiated on the facts of attacks, public disorder and damage, in connection with which it was decided to apply a preventive measure in the form of pre-trial detention against the accused, presented by the investigative authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, for acts of aggression in against government officials and territorial inspectors, resulting in bodily harm and violations of order. Criminal proceedings are being investigated and completed. for transfer to court,” the Cuban prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
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The department noted that emergency situations in the energy system and weather events that affected the country had a direct impact on the population and the economy and called for order, discipline and respect for civil servants who are engaged in the restoration of public services.
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A new blackout began in Cuba on Wednesday due to a controlled shutdown of the national power grid due to the threat of Hurricane Rafael. The hurricane left serious damage, knocking down a number of high-voltage power lines, which prevented timely restoration of power supply. The generation deficit in Cuba, which aggravates the situation, is due to a lack of fuel and ongoing repair work at dilapidated thermal power plants.
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By Saturday evening, power had been restored to 70% of consumers in Havana and Mayabec, although water supply problems persisted in the capital, according to authorities and energy officials. The province of Artemisa remains without electricity; in Pinar del Rio, internal microsystems operate without connection to the national power grid.
