Cuba was receiving a third of its oil from Venezuela until a US operation removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in January. No fuel had entered the country in three months and the capital, Havana, has seen blackouts of up to 15 hours a day.

Protests in Cuba come as a reaction to electricity blackouts and shortages of food, fuel and medicine, which have been worsened by a US blockade on oil. This has affected hospitals, public transport, education, rubbish collection and heavily impacted Cuba’s economy.

It’s been reported that the protest began peacefully but grew more destructive as people started throwing rocks and starting fires. Five people have been arrested in the central city of Moron over the weekend after destroying Communist office buildings.

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