On Monday, Miguel Díaz-Canel announced the tragic loss of at least six lives in the San Antonio del Sur municipality due to Hurricane Oscar, which hit Guantánamo on Sunday before weakening to a tropical storm. "Regrettably, according to our reports, six lives have been lost in San Antonio del Sur. Rescue operations are ongoing, and we are still assessing the damage and impact as some areas remain completely flooded and inaccessible," the leader stated on Cuban television.
Severe Damage Reported in Guantánamo
Díaz-Canel described the damage in Guantánamo as "severe," noting that initial images suggested Baracoa was the hardest hit, but this was not the case. "It must be said that San Antonio and Imías municipalities were severely affected by this event. Flood levels have been recorded that had no historical precedent in these regions," he added.
Authorities and Rescue Efforts
On platform X, Díaz-Canel emphasized that certain areas remain unreachable, highlighting that the FAR and MININT are conducting rescue operations in these municipalities. He concluded by declaring, "All of Cuba is focused on Guantánamo." The leader did not provide details about the deceased or specify the exact causes of death, though it appears they resulted from the intense flooding. The Civil Defense also reported the fatalities on X without offering additional details about the victims.
Community Mobilization and Support
In response to the devastation in Guantánamo's municipalities, the Union of Young Communists (UJC), alongside student and youth movements, called upon the youth to assist in recovery efforts as directed by local authorities. "We will immediately form necessary brigades ready to work in campaign conditions, side by side with our people," the political organization stated in a communiqué cited by Prensa Latina. UJC municipal committees across the nation are preparing these brigades for activation at the appropriate time. Donations for families affected by the storm are also being collected.
Hurricane Oscar, which made landfall near Baracoa as a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is now moving away from Cuban shores as a tropical storm, though it is expected to continue bringing rainfall to the eastern part of the country for several more hours. The far eastern region of Cuba has historically been impacted by 14 tropical cyclones, with three hurricanes striking in October: Flora (1963), Matthew (2016), and now Oscar (2024).