"Cuban Protests Escalate Amid Economic Crisis and Power Cuts"

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Santiago, Cuba, demanding food and power amid a worsening economic crisis, with similar protests in Bayamo. Cuba has been grappling with severe shortages in food, medicine, fuel, and power, exacerbated by U.S. sanctions and a centrally planned economy. The protests, the largest since July 2021, have led to a crackdown by authorities, with over 675 protesters still in prison. The dire economic situation has driven a wave of migration, with over half a million encounters with Cubans at the U.S.-Mexico border. Cuban-Americans and others outside the island have rallied in support, urging the Biden administration to help the Cuban people communicate and calling on Cuba's military to stand with the people.