Morón awarded Pedro Luis Boitel Freedom Prize for protest bravery

The town of Morón in Cuba's Ciego de Ávila province has been awarded the 2026 Pedro Luis Boitel Freedom Prize. The award, presented by the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) during a ceremony in Miami, recognizes the bravery of residents who participated in protests in March 2026.

The demonstrations were triggered by severe electricity shortages, food scarcity, and government repression. During the protests, residents marched through the El Vaquerito neighborhood and targeted the municipal headquarters of the Communist Party of Cuba. The regime's response included police deployments and arrests; while officials acknowledged five arrests, opposition groups reported at least 14 detentions and injuries caused by police gunfire.

Gerardo González accepted the prize on behalf of the Morón community. Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, the ARC coordinator, stated that the town's actions embody a spirit of struggle and patriotism, linking the current movement to the legacy of the namesake dissident, Pedro Luis Boitel.