In a dramatic turn of events in Cuba, demonstrators targeted a Communist Party headquarters in Morón, launching an attack that escalated to ransacking and attempts to set the building ablaze. Footage obtained by Fox News Digital reveals the chaotic scene, with sounds of gunfire and a man lying on the ground outside.
Cuban state media swiftly countered reports of police gunfire hitting anyone, confirming instead that five individuals had been arrested following the unrest.
The video captures the intensity of the moment, with a sizeable crowd assembling outside the party office. As flames lick the night sky, protesters hurl burning objects at the building, their chants of “Libertad, libertad!”—meaning “Freedom, freedom!”—echoing in the air just before gunshots are heard.
This surge of protest activity, seemingly sparked by ongoing blackouts, saw participants wielding fiery objects as they advanced on the political office, showing their frustration and defiance.
In the midst of the chaos, a young man appears to fall to the ground, his collapse met with cries from those around him. In Spanish, they shout, “They shot him! They’re shooting! They said they wouldn’t shoot, but they shot him,” emphasizing the tension and fear that permeated the scene.
A young man appears to collapse as others nearby scream in Spanish: “They shot him! They’re shooting! They said they wouldn’t shoot, but they shot him.”
The video then shows people carrying the injured man away from the scene.
In another video obtained by Fox News Digital, large crowds can be seen marching through Morón’s unlit streets before unrest spread to the Communist Party headquarters.
Morón is located on Cuba’s northern coast about 250 miles east of the capital Havana near the tourist resort of Cayo Coco.
“The image circulating shows the scene of the protest, but it’s important for the public to know the truth: no one was injured by gunfire,” state media outlet Vanguardia de Cuba said on X.
“Media manipulation seeks to sow fear and confusion among our people. Let’s not fall for provocations,” it added.
Protesters gather outside a Communist Party headquarters in Morón, Cuba, as a fire burns in the street during overnight unrest. Video obtained by Fox News Digital appeared to show demonstrators attempting to set fire to the building amid protests linked to widespread blackouts. (Reuters)
State media said police had detained five people and that a “drunken” participant fell and was being treated for injuries in hospital.
Over the past week, several small groups of residents across Havana have banged pots in protest against extended blackouts.
Cuba has faced rolling blackouts, food shortages and renewed protests tied to the island’s worsening energy and economic crisis.
A recent nationwide blackout was triggered by a failure at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the island’s largest power station, cutting electricity across much of the country, according to Reuters.
The crisis has been compounded by fuel shortages after the Trump administration moved to curtail oil shipments to the island, particularly from Venezuela — one of Cuba’s main suppliers.
Cuban officials say U.S. sanctions have worsened the country’s economic difficulties, while repeated power plant failures and an aging electrical grid have left millions facing prolonged blackouts that have fueled growing public frustration and protests.
A Cuban woman wearing a T-shirt with the United States flag sells coconut cookies, Saturday, on a Havana street. (Yamil Lage / AFP via Getty Images)
“What initially began peacefully, and after an exchange with local authorities, turned into acts of vandalism against the headquarters of the Municipal Party Committee,” the state-run Invasor newspaper reported, according to Reuters.
“A smaller group of people stoned the entrance of the building and started a fire in the street with furniture from the reception area,” it added.
Vandals also targeted several other state-run establishments in the area, including a pharmacy and a government market, the report said.
On Friday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that he was holding talks with the U.S. government, marking the first time the Caribbean country has confirmed widespread speculation about discussions with the Trump administration.
Díaz-Canel said that no petroleum shipments have arrived in Cuba in the past three months and blamed a U.S. energy blockade for that. He said that the island is running on a mixture of natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants.
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