Initially resonating in April 2021 in the city of Bayamo, the chant gained popularity when Los Alazanes fans celebrated their victory in the 60th National Baseball Series. This past weekend, the chant was heard once more in Granma province, where residents are expressing their frustration with poverty and power outages. The refrain "¡Oe, policía pinga!" was sung by the people of Campechuela on Friday night, reminiscent of the surge of defiance that led Granma’s residents to celebrate their 2021 victory with chants that challenged the Cuban regime's authorities and repressive forces.
Taking to the darkened streets, dozens of Campechuela residents voiced their exasperation over the blackouts and the widespread crisis impacting the lives of Cubans, particularly those in the central and eastern regions of the country. "The conga heated up in Granma, Campechuela," stated a Facebook user who shared a video showing the protest march through the town of over 43,000 residents.
In defiance of the regime’s oppressive machinery, which has recently used its prosecutors and judicial authorities to intimidate and threaten protesters with imprisonment for speaking out against the energy crisis, Campechuela residents brought out their drums and cowbells in an act of courage. "Last night was terrible," commented a Granma resident on social media, trying to explain the popular uprising in Campechuela.
She elaborated, "In the provincial capital, there were only two hours of electricity. Imagine the smaller towns. How much longer can we endure this? They are destroying our mental health." She added, "In the morning, a young man fainted in the street here. We had to stop a car to take him to the clinic. Diagnosis: hypoglycemia and low blood pressure. This is our reality. The whole neighborhood witnessed it."
According to singer Saúl Manuel Suárez Castro, who shared the protest video online, "There were beatings and arrests due to the conga in Campechuela." The artist, who released the song "Cuba, levántate" in April 2021, noted, "I'm being told people are unafraid and plan to do it again." His song joined the ranks of "Patria y Vida" by Yotuel, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, and El Funky, and "Un sueño" by El Micha, during a time of growing unrest and dissatisfaction in Cuba.
The desperation and discontent that gripped Cuba during that period led to the historic July 11, 2021 protests (11J). Since then, conditions have only worsened on the island. The resurgence of conga performances in Cuban streets, echoing with "oe, policía pinga," is seen by many as a harbinger of greater public unrest.
What might appear as crude and fleeting expressions of discontent—much like actress Mia Khalifa's tweets—are perceived by today's Cubans as an indication that tensions are reaching a boiling point, and a widespread uprising could erupt at any moment, whether in Campechuela or Havana's Plaza de la Revolución.