The OCC counted 542 expressions of disagreement in October

The Cuban Observatory of Conflicts (OCC) counted 542 events between protests, claims and critical expressions in Cuba throughout October 2026. Citizen insecurity concentrated the largest number, with 119 events. The problems of public services and actions classified as challenges to the police state also had weight. The balance brings together demonstrations of different kinds and is not limited to protests held in public spaces.

The figure represents a decrease of 18.25% compared to the 663 events that the OCC had counted in September. The organization warned that the reduction in the monthly total does not equate, by itself, to less discontent or an improvement in the country's situation. The comparison allows us to observe a variation in the number of events recorded between the two months, but the observatory itself asked not to interpret this difference as a favorable change in the conditions it describes.

The classification of the month covered eight categories. Insecurity ranked first, with 119 events, and problems related to public services came in second, with 104. In third place appeared 88 events grouped as challenges to the police state. These figures show that the record was not concentrated in a single type of disagreement: along with concerns about security, there are complaints associated with basic services and expressions directed at the state apparatus.

Within the category of challenges to the police state, the OCC counted 24 face-to-face protests. That figure corresponds to a part of the 88 events classified in that section, not to the total number of protests, complaints and critical expressions of the month. The distinction helps to understand the scope of the balance: its 542 cases combine different forms of demonstration and denunciation, while face-to-face actions constitute a more limited component of the count.

The context described for October includes prolonged blackouts and difficulties in accessing water, as well as problems related to public services. The report also includes mentions of food shortages and the health crisis. In its balance, the OCC presented these issues along with concerns about insecurity and expressions of disagreement. The monthly count, therefore, brings together both the quantified categories and issues that were part of the panorama described by the organization.