Demonstrators assaulted a Communist Party office in Cuba during the night, looting the facility and trying to ignite it, as footage acquired by Digital seemed to show shots fired and an individual lying on the ground outdoors.
State-run media in Cuba subsequently refuted claims that police bullets had hit anyone and reported five detentions.
The dramatic video depicts a sizable assembly outside the Morón building while flames consume the roadway and demonstrators hurl flaming items toward the edifice.
The demonstrators are audible shouting “Libertad, libertad!” — which translates to “Freedom, freedom!” in Spanish — just prior to the sound of gunshots erupting in the recording.
A young male seems to fall down while bystanders shout in Spanish: “They shot him! They’re firing! They promised not to shoot, but they shot him.”
The footage subsequently displays individuals transporting the wounded man away from the location.
In separate footage secured by Digital, sizable groups are observed parading through Morón’s darkened thoroughfares prior to the disturbances reaching the Communist Party office.
Morón sits on Cuba’s northern shoreline approximately 250 miles east of Havana, close to the Cayo Coco vacation destination.
“The viral image displays the protest site, but the public must know the facts: nobody was wounded by bullets,” the state-run Vanguardia de Cuba outlet posted on X.
“Media distortion aims to spread panic and uncertainty among our citizens. We must not succumb to provocations,” the outlet continued.
The state-run press reported that authorities had apprehended five individuals and that an intoxicated participant had tumbled and was receiving medical care at a hospital.
Throughout the previous week, numerous small clusters of Havana inhabitants have clanged pots to demonstrate against prolonged power outages.
The island nation has experienced intermittent power cuts, food scarcities, and fresh demonstrations connected to its deteriorating energy and financial predicament.
A countrywide power failure was recently caused by a malfunction at the Antonio Guiteras thermal power facility, the nation’s biggest electricity generator, disrupting power throughout most of the territory, Reuters reported.
The situation has been worsened by fuel deficits following the Trump administration’s decision to restrict petroleum deliveries to the island, notably from Venezuela — a primary provider for Cuba.
Cuban authorities contend that American sanctions have aggravated the nation’s economic hardships, while frequent generator breakdowns and a deteriorating power network have subjected millions to extended outages, stoking increasing citizen discontent and demonstrations.
“What started as a peaceful gathering, following dialogue with municipal officials, escalated into destructive acts targeting the Municipal Party Committee headquarters,” the government-controlled Invasor publication noted, as cited by Reuters.
“A minor faction hurled stones at the building’s entryway and ignited a street blaze using furnishings from the lobby,” the report continued.
The vandals additionally struck multiple other government-operated businesses nearby, such as a drugstore and a state market, according to the report.
On Friday, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel announced he was engaged in negotiations with Washington, representing the first official confirmation from the Caribbean nation of widespread rumors regarding talks with the Trump administration.
Díaz-Canel stated that zero oil deliveries have reached Cuba during the last three months, attributing this to an American energy embargo. He indicated the island is operating on a combination of natural gas, solar energy, and thermal power stations.
Efrat Lachter, Reuters and