Protests broke out across the Cuban capital of Havana on Wednesday (May 13) evening as the city confronted its worst rolling blackouts in decades amid a U.S. blockade that has starved the island of fuel.

Crowds of hundreds of angry Cubans poured onto the streets in several outlying neighbourhoods, blocking roads with burning piles of rubbish, banging pots and shouting slogans.

Reuters witnessed multiple groups of mostly peaceful protesters in locations across the city, marking the largest single night of demonstrations in Havana since the energy crisis took hold in January.

Cuba's energy and mines minister earlier in the day said the nation had completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, and that its power grid had entered a "critical" state.

(Production: Mario Fuentes, Cooper Inveen)

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

CUBANS BANGING POTS, GATHERING AROUND FIRES IN STREETS PROTESTING POWER CUTS / SOUNDBITES FROM RESIDENTS / STREETS WITHOUT POWER

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: HAVANA, CUBA (MAY 13, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STREET BANGING POTS

2. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING NEAR FIRE IN STREET

3. POLICE CARS DRIVING WITH SIRENS ON

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAVANA RESIDENT, RODOLFO ALFONSO, SAYING:

"We are demanding the right to have electricity. We have gone more than 40 hours without electricity. I live in a community where there are many elderly people, many of them bedridden, there are many children, food is going bad inside the refrigerators, the little food that can be obtained, the country's situation is well known and well, it gave us the motivation to come out to see if even by banging a pot they will give us at least 3 hours of electricity."

5. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN STREETS

6. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING NEAR FIRE IN STREET

7. MEN SITTING AROUND TABLE ON PAVEMENT / MAN LYING ON MATTRESS WITH CHILD IN FRONT OF HOUSE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAVANA RESIDENT, 38-YEAR-OLD IRAILDA BRAVO, SAYING:

"As long as it is a peaceful protest like the one today, well that's fine, because we are demanding our rights. We know that the situation in the country is chaotic, to put it some way, but we have small children, we have to work, we have a life and so we have to rest. We need to rest."

9. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STREET, BANGING POTS AND SHOUTING (Spanish): "Electricity!"

10. PEOPLE IN STREET / CAR PASSING

11. VARIOUS VIEWS FROM INSIDE VEHICLE SHOWING STREETS WITHOUT POWER