Accompanied by a heavy security detail and significant military presence, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the municipality of Imías in Guantánamo this Wednesday. He addressed the residents, cautioning them that among the damages inflicted by Hurricane Oscar, the recovery of housing will be the most prolonged process. In Imías, housing damages included 54 total collapses, 98 partial collapses, 15 roofs completely destroyed, and 218 roofs partially damaged.
Upon receiving this information, Díaz-Canel outlined a recovery strategy that prioritizes repairing partially damaged roofs over total ones, aiming to swiftly address the most urgent issues. "We are progressing on total and partial collapses, erecting walls first so that by the time we finish the roofs, we can complete the homes," he stated, suggesting that the main burden lies with the affected families rather than the government.
International Aid and Local Realities
Díaz-Canel attempted to highlight the assistance received, noting that there has been significant international and domestic solidarity, with many individuals collecting and sending donations to the affected. "I believe Guantánamo and its residents have felt that support from the rest of Cuba and several countries worldwide," he claimed. However, this statement contrasts with a state management that seems to rely more on charity than on effective solutions.
Addressing the local population, who have lost much of their belongings, Díaz-Canel boasted of partially restoring communication and initiating some road repair work, though he acknowledged that permanent solutions remain pending. He emphasized that support has been provided in terms of food and medicine supplies, and the first aid materials for those whose homes were damaged have started to arrive.
Water Supply and Community Involvement
The leader also reported that the critical water supply situation has stabilized, with over 97% coverage restored in the municipality. He reiterated the message that "the revolution does not leave anyone behind," urging residents to actively participate in reconstruction tasks and oversee government actions. “The most important thing is for you to be involved in everything being done, supporting and monitoring,” he asserted, emphasizing "popular control" as part of the recovery process.
However, his declaration that "everything we do in the recovery will be better than it was before" raises skepticism among the victims, many of whom felt abandoned during Hurricane Oscar's passage through Guantánamo. Three days after the cyclone hit the province, Díaz-Canel arrived, assuring that "no Cuban has been left to fend for themselves" in this natural disaster. "All of Cuba is focused on you... Rest assured that you are neither alone nor abandoned," he told the people of Guantánamo. Yet, during his visit to Baracoa, he was contradicted by locals who shouted that they didn’t even have drinking water.