A screenshot from a video posted on social media purporting to show the burning of the provincial headquarters of the Communist Party in Morón, Cuba, on March 14, 2026. (Social Media/via REUTERS) [Photo provided by a third party] 

Cubans angry over worsening power outages, exacerbated by a U.S. oil embargo, set fire to a Communist Party headquarters, Reuters reported on March 14 (local time), citing Cuba's state newspaper 'Invasor'.

According to the report, a peaceful protest against power outages and food shortages began in the central Cuban city of Morón on the night of the 13th, but escalated into a violent demonstration in the early hours of the following day.

The newspaper stated that protesters engaged in altercations with local authorities before vandalizing the Communist Party's Morón headquarters, with some individuals throwing stones at the building's entrance and setting furniture on fire.

Other state-run facilities in the vicinity, such as a pharmacy and a market, also became targets of the protesters.

According to Cuban state media, five people were detained, and one person who appeared to be intoxicated was being treated at a hospital after falling.

Morón is a coastal city located approximately 400 kilometers east of Havana, Cuba's capital, and is near the tourist resort area of 'Cayo Coco'.

Videos were posted on social media showing a large fire, with voices shouting "Liberty" in the background, and people throwing stones through the building's windows.

Reuters confirmed that one of these videos was filmed in Morón, but while it was clear the footage was recent, the exact date of filming could not be verified.

Some videos circulating on social media also show a person falling to the floor after gunshots are heard, but Cuban state media clarified, "While the circulating images do depict the scene of the protest, no one was injured by gunfire."

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated on social media on the 14th that while the anger over the ongoing blackouts is understandable, violence is unacceptable, adding, "Acts of vandalism and violence will not go unpunished."

Previously, on March 9, Havana University students staged a sit-in protest on campus stairs after the government announced a suspension of in-person classes, citing the U.S. oil embargo.

Recently, Cuba has significantly reduced public transportation services, making commuting to work and school very difficult.

Last week in Havana, some residents held small-scale protest demonstrations by banging pots and pans to create loud noises, protesting prolonged power outages.

The United States has intensified sanctions pressure on Cuba since January of this year, after detaining Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and bringing him to the U.S., cutting off crude oil supplies from Venezuela to Cuba and threatening high tariffs on countries exporting crude oil to Cuba.

The Cuban economy has long suffered from shortages of food, fuel, electricity, and medicine, and the economic difficulties have been exacerbated by additional U.S. sanctions.

U.S. President Donald Trump has made statements in recent weeks suggesting that Cuba is on the verge of collapse and wants to negotiate with the United States. On March 13, the Cuban government revealed it was in negotiations with the U.S. to ease the crisis.

Protests are uncommon in communist Cuba, and violent protests are even rarer.

In Cuba, the 2019 constitutional reform granted citizens the freedom to protest, but the passage of legislation specifically regulating this has been delayed in the legislature, leaving the legal repercussions for those taking to the streets unclear.

On March 15, Trump told reporters on Air Force One returning to Washington D.C. from his Florida residence, "Cuba wants an agreement too," and "We will reach an agreement soon, or we will do whatever we have to do."

He added, "So we are talking to Cuba," but noted that the U.S. is currently prioritizing resolving issues with Iran before Cuba.

"So I think something will happen with Cuba quite soon," he concluded.