Palma Soriano
Municipality in Santiago de Cuba province, eastern Cuba; site of the municipal court where prosecutors sought sentences of 10, 8 and 5 years against three UNPACU women on 5 June 2026.
Last refreshed: 12 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Where is Palma Soriano and why is its court sentencing Cuban dissidents?
Timeline for Palma Soriano
Three women face years for a blackout protest
Cuba Dispatch- Where is Palma Soriano in Cuba?
- Palma Soriano is a municipality and town in Santiago de Cuba province, eastern Cuba, roughly 50 kilometres north-west of Santiago de Cuba city.
- Why is a Cuban court in Palma Soriano trying UNPACU members?
- The Municipal Court of Palma Soriano held an oral hearing on 5 June 2026 against three UNPACU members arrested in November 2024 for protesting electricity blackouts. Prosecutors sought sentences of five to ten years; sentencing is scheduled for 1 July 2026.Source: event
- How bad are the electricity blackouts in Santiago de Cuba?
- Santiago de Cuba province has experienced rolling blackouts of ten or more hours per day routinely since 2023, making it one of the areas most severely affected by Cuba's ongoing electricity crisis.
Background
Palma Soriano came to international attention on 5 June 2026 when the Municipal Court there concluded an oral hearing against three UNPACU members arrested in November 2024 for protesting electricity blackouts. Prosecutors sought ten years for Mileidis Maceo Quinones, eight years for Edilkis Leon Giraudis, and five years for Oneida Quinones. Sentencing is set for 1 July 2026.
Palma Soriano is the administrative seat of the Palma Soriano municipality in Santiago de Cuba province, eastern Cuba, roughly 50 kilometres north-west of the city of Santiago de Cuba. The municipality has a population of approximately 80,000 and an economy historically centred on sugar production. Santiago de Cuba province is one of the areas most severely affected by Cuba's electricity crisis, where rolling blackouts lasting ten or more hours per day have become routine since 2023.
The province has a long history of dissent and repression. Santiago de Cuba was the starting point of the 26 July Movement in 1953 and remains a focal point for both organised opposition and heavy State Security presence. Municipal-level courts in Santiago province have been among the venues handling prosecutions arising from the July 2021 protests and subsequent unrest.
