Protests erupt in Havana as Cuba struggles to restore electricity

By Dave Sherwood and Ayose Naranjo Reuters Scattered protests broke out across Havana on Tuesday evening, with residents banging pots, honking horns and shouting “turn on the lights” as millions ‌of Cubans remained without power amid a six-month-long U.S. fuel blockade. Cuba experienced a nationwide outage on ‌Monday — its third this year — but while authorities said most of the country had been reconnected to the island’s grid by late ​Tuesday, many remained in the dark and without electricity as the island doesn’t have enough fuel. The country’s grid operator UNE said it had reconnected the grid from Pinar del Rio, in far western Cuba, to Holguin in the east. Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, remained disconnected and without power, authorities said. The U.S. in January ‌cut off Cuba’s fuel supply, then ⁠imposed fresh sanctions that have prompted an exodus of foreign businesses and a near-complete collapse o...

Trinidad and Tobago declares state of emergency on expected spike in gang violence

Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency on Monday as the government braced for reprisal shootings after an attempt on a gang leader’s life, officials said.

The dual-island Caribbean nation off the coast of Venezuela will use the emergency to launch an anti-gang crackdown, authorities said.

Defense forces will become de facto police officers and both are allowed to conduct searches without a warrant, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said at a press conference.

Bail will be suspended and those suspected of committing a crime can be held for 48 hours without a charge. That could be extended another seven days by court approval, Young said.

On Saturday, armed gunmen shot at a known gang leader who was leaving the police station, killing a member of his crew, according to Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. The report did not name the gang leader.

On Sunday evening, five men were shot dead in what is believed to be an act of retaliation, Newsday reported.

Trinidad and Tobago has seen a record number of murders this year.

SOURCE: REUTERS AND AGENCIES



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/Q53D7Af

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