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Cubans torch communist headquarters in protest of blackouts and food shortages

Burning and ransacking of a local communist party building in Cuba was captured on video Friday night, with Cuban officials saying the violence "threatens citizen tranquility."

The city of Morón was the focal point of the outrage, which local outlets said was in response to the current energy crisis and lack of access to food.

'There will be no impunity for vandalism and violence.'

A small group of people reportedly began protesting peacefully on Friday night, but later turned to vandalism after an exchange with territorial authorities. Eventually, cameras captured a group of protesters surrounding a large fire outside the communist party building.

Multiple people were seen having scaled the building, running in and out of the second floor window, throwing building contents out into the streets.

Cuban outlet Invasor said that protesters destroyed the entrance, started a fire inside the building, and damaged a nearby pharmacy and retail outlet. As a result, five people were arrested.

On Saturday, outlets began reporting claims that a man had been shot outside the building by authorities.

Fox News reported on a man's apparent collapse caught on video, which followed the sound of a gunshot. Protesters reportedly said, "They shot him! They're shooting!" before the man was carried away by other protesters.

However, state outlet Vanguardia claimed in an X post that "there were no gunshot wounds" and that the "shots were fired into the air to disperse the riot."

"The young man they're trying to portray as a victim was one of those responsible for the riots. While trying to tear off the Party ID, he suffered a fall. His own comrades transported him on a motorbike, and he is currently receiving medical attention in the hospital," the outlet wrote, per X's translation.

Vanguardia also noted that "tranquility" remains predominant in the province. The same verbiage was echoed by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

The president wrote that while it was "understandable" for blackouts to cause distress, he blamed an increasingly cruel and intensified "U.S. energy blockade" for the unrest.

"And complaints and claims are legitimate, as long as they are made with civility and respect for public order," Diaz-Canel went on. "What will never be understandable, justified, or acceptable is violence and vandalism that threatens public tranquility and the security of our institutions. There will be no impunity for vandalism and violence."

Morón is in the province of Ciego de Avila and is located about 250 miles east of Havana, with a population of around 70,000.

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