Cuba reported a series of internet outages in the early hours of July 15 amid a wave of anti-government protests.
The protests began around midnight in the town of Los Palacios, Pinar Del Río, then spread to other towns, including the capital Havana. NetBlocks and other Internet watchdogs reported that the Internet outages began around 1 am local time, confirming a total loss of communication that lasted approximately 45 minutes.
Cubans now appear to be using VPN services to grant access to social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube, whose connection still seems limited.
Internet shutdowns and limitations are now a popular weapon in the hands of governments seeking to silence dissent. These escalating incidents have already cost the global economy €10 billion this year. And while the use of security software like the best VPN services can help mitigate the impacts, these disruptions greatly affect people's lives and basic rights.
⚠️ Confirmed: Network traffic data shows internet service outage in #Cuba early Friday morning; The incident occurs amid protests in and around Pinar del Río that corroborate reports of loss of communications for about 45 minutes pic.twitter.com/14X0egb2rf July 15, 2022
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What is happening in Cuba?
Exactly one year after the massive demonstrations of 11-J - for which nearly 1.000 people have already been detained and face decades in prison for witnessing the events - Cubans took to the streets again last night to denounce months of shortages that affect the island.
Cuba is going through the worst economic crisis in decades. The lack of food, medicine, fuel and electricity is pushing citizens to flee the country in search of a better life.
After Nicaragua lifted its visa requirements last November, more than 80,000 Cubans have already made the journey to reach the US border with Mexico. Many others, including independent activists, artists and journalists, have chosen exile to escape government repression.
It remains to be seen whether last night's wave of protests will reach the scale of the events of July last year. What seems clear, however, is that if this is the case, people in Cuba are likely to experience more internet outages in the coming days.
