Period: 1–31 October 2026 · Data cutoff: 3 November 2026 · Published: 6 November 2026
PUBLIC PROTESTS
↑ 37%
35 in September 2026
REPRESSIVE EVENTS
↑ 2%
298 in September 2026
INCIDENTS AGAINST PRISONERS
154, +7 vs. September
More than half of the total documented in the month
VICTIMS OF REPRESSIVE EVENTS
↑ 24%
193 in September 2026
RECORD OF THE MONTH
More than half of the repressive events affected people deprived of their liberty, the highest proportion since 2026.
154 out of 303 registered events. This is the third consecutive month at around half.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In October, the repression was once again concentrated in prisons. More than half of the incidents affected incarcerated individuals, the highest proportion of the year. Reports of denial of medical care, isolation in punishment cells, and transfers were repeated, and several prisoners staged hunger strikes. Family members also reported the interruption of phone calls in prisons such as Guanajay.
Public protests increased compared to September, with a surge in pot-banging demonstrations and street blockades in Havana at the end of the month. Monitoring data alone does not allow for a definitive explanation of the causes of this increase. The number of victims continued its upward trend from August, reaching 239. Havana was the area with the most repressive incidents, followed by Camagüey, home to the two prisons with the most incidents. More than half of the incidents affected members of independent civil society. The month was marked by power outages, water shortages, garbage accumulation, and price increases.
Behind these figures are real people and families waiting for answers. The records correspond to what was documented by Cubalex monitoring and should be considered an undercount, given the limitations on reporting.
1. Repressive Events and Victims
By month, January–October 2026 · figures from published reports
Consult the data in the chart
| Category / Period | Repressive events | Victims |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 246 | 179 |
| Feb | 242 | 190 |
| Sea | 346 | 224 |
| Apr | 370 | 227 |
| May | 304 | 221 |
| Jun | 319 | 254 |
| Jul | 388 | 302 |
| Aug | 280 | 187 |
| Sep | 298 | 193 |
| Oct | 303 | 239 |
The Cubalex monitoring team recorded 303 repressive events in October, compared to 298 in September. A total of 639 incidents of harassment were also recorded.
Previous months: figures from published reports.
2. MOST FREQUENT TYPES OF INCIDENTS
Main categories, October 2026
Consult the data in the chart
| Category / Period | Events |
|---|---|
| Violations against persons deprived of liberty | 154 |
| Violence or harassment | 50 |
| Threats or coercion | 47 |
| Denial of medical care | 44 |
| Transfers | 30 |
| Police surveillance | 30 |
The peak of the month was on October 1 (27 incidents), partly due to the police cordon and arrests surrounding the trial against an activist and her mother. Read the case analysis →
3. VICTIM PROFILE
- 81% men (193)
- 19% women (46)
Consult the data in the chart
| Category / Period | Events |
|---|---|
| men | 193 |
| women | 46 |
- 58% independent civil society (175)
- 42% unorganized citizens (127)
- <1% unclassified (1)
Consult the data in the chart
| Category / Period | Events |
|---|---|
| independent civil society | 175 |
| unorganized citizens | 127 |
| unclassified | 1 |
4 · MAP OF REPRESSION
Intensity by province · at least 54 municipalities
Consult the data in the chart
| Province | Events |
|---|---|
| Havana | 96 |
| Camagüey | 40 |
| Santiago de Cuba | 29 |
| Villa Clara | 18 |
| Artemisa | 16 |
| Sancti Spíritus | 14 |
| Holguín | 14 |
| Las Tunas | 13 |
| Mayabeque | 12 |
| Ciego de Ávila | 9 |
| Granma | 8 |
| Matanzas | 7 |
| Cienfuegos | 2 |
| Pinar del Río | 1 |
| Guantánamo | 1 |
| Isla de la Juventud | 1 |
They follow Havana
| 2nd Camagüey | 40 |
|---|---|
| 3rd Santiago de Cuba | 29 |
| 4th Villa Clara | 18 |
| 5th Artemis | 16 |
| 6th Sancti Spiritus | 14 |
| 6th Holguín | 14 |
| 8th Las Tunas | 13 |
| 9th Mayabeque | 12 |
| 10th Ciego de Ávila | 9 |
Havana accounted for 32% of the events, followed by Camagüey (13%) and Santiago de Cuba (10%). All provinces and the Isle of Youth registered at least one event.
5 · DAILY PROTESTS
October 1–31, 2026 · 48 public protests
Consult the data in the chart
| Category / Period | Public protests |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 2 |
| 7 | 1 |
| 8 | 0 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 11 | 0 |
| 12 | 2 |
| 13 | 1 |
| 14 | 1 |
| 15 | 1 |
| 16 | 2 |
| 17 | 2 |
| 18 | 1 |
| 19 | 1 |
| 20 | 3 |
| 21 | 2 |
| 22 | 0 |
| 23 | 0 |
| 24 | 1 |
| 25 | 1 |
| 26 | 1 |
| 27 | 0 |
| 28 | 2 |
| 29 | 2 |
| 30 | 7 |
| 31 | 3 |
October 30: 7 protests
the busiest day of the month
Havana saw 15 protests (31%), Santiago de Cuba 11 (23%), and Holguín 7 (15%). The protests were dominated by anti-government signs and graffiti, pot-banging demonstrations, street blockades, and neighborhood protests, which included slogans against the government and complaints about electricity and water outages.
There were also 12 protests in detention centers, including hunger and/or thirst strikes by 8 people.
6 · PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY
In incidents against persons deprived of their liberty, the most frequent categories were denial of medical care (42), solitary confinement (23), and violence or harassment (22). October ties with April as the second month of the year with the most instances of this type of isolation, after July; 5 were related to hunger strike incidents, and 13 of these occurred in prisons in Camagüey. The pattern also intersects with denial of medical care: 8 of the 20 people in solitary confinement reported this violation during the month. Read the analysis →
victims deprived of liberty
repressive incidents related to hunger and/or thirst strikes
victims of arbitrary arrests
6 enforced disappearances
people released from prison or freed
Detention centers with the most repressive incidents
Count 1–31 October 2026
Consult the data in the chart
| Category / Period | Incidents |
|---|---|
| Kilo 8 Prison, Camagüey | 16 |
| Kilo 7 Prison, Camagüey | 12 |
| Las Tunas Provincial Prison | 10 |
7 · CONTEXT OF THE MONTH
News figures recorded by monitoring; one news item can include several facts and fall into more than one category.
situation of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights (ESCR)
utility service outages (electricity, water or gas)
economic situation
As in previous months, service disruptions were daily, with blackouts lasting between 70 and 90 continuous hours in several provinces and, in extreme cases, persisting for weeks or months; water scarcity compounded this critical situation. Complaints regarding economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights focused on garbage accumulation and unsanitary conditions, the deterioration of hospitals and medical care, and water and sanitation problems. Economically, the most prominent issues were inflation, the depreciation of the peso, shortages of products and fuel, the collapse of tourism and the activity of state-owned enterprises, along with the worsening of poverty.
METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
The report processes 1,194 records: 891 monitored news items and 303 repression incidents. The main sources are Facebook (712), websites (313), X (78), direct documentation from Cubalex (72), Instagram (13), and YouTube (6). Verification is carried out by comparing at least two sources or through direct contact with the affected individuals or their families. The data is neither complete nor definitive: it reflects only the events documented during the period and may be revised in subsequent reports. Figures for previous months correspond to published reports; the constantly updated monitoring database may include subsequent records. The identity of the victims is protected.