Former Cuban military personnel have suggested that the potential storage of chemical materials at the Melones military base in the Holguín municipality of Rafael Freyre might be a key factor in the deadly explosion that resulted in 13 fatalities, nine of whom were young conscripts in mandatory military service. According to reports by Martí Noticias, inadequate safety protocols for handling these materials could have significantly contributed to the calamity.
Exiled in Spain, ex-Lieutenant Colonel Máximo Omar Ruiz Matoses, who now leads the independent group Military Conscientious Objectors, recalls that during the 1980s, the Melones base was used to store chemical weaponry for the Eastern Army. Ruiz Matoses believes that the Revolutionary Armed Forces Ministry (MINFAR) might still have hazardous materials there, which could explain the Cuban authorities' reticence regarding the incident.
"Previously, it was an armory for the FAR where pyrotechnic materials and various armaments were accumulated. Should there have been outdated munitions, the explosion would have been spontaneous, yet the disaster's scale suggests the presence of chemical weaponry," Ruiz Matoses stated.
The official stance provided by Cuban authorities attributes the disaster to an electrical fault caused by a short circuit, as per a statement from MINFAR. Conversely, exiled Cuban Lieutenant Ángel Madrazo, now residing in Texas, posits that inadequate safety measures in explosive handling could be the actual cause.
"Military bases routinely ignored safety protocols. Explosives were mishandled during mock drills. I suspect Melones housed rocamonita, a military-grade plastic explosive, along with other chemical substances," Madrazo remarked to the same outlet.
Doubts about the Cuban regime's transparency surfaced almost immediately, especially after an official note on Cubadebate initially indicated that "aged munitions" were categorized at the military unit near Gibara. These statements were later removed from the government-affiliated site and have not been mentioned by MINFAR since.
An additional factor that may have exacerbated the disaster is the presence of underground tunnels in the area, complicating rescue operations. Ruiz Matoses mentions that some of these tunnels extend for several kilometers and might have been used for storing warfare materials.
A retired FAR captain, who spoke to the independent outlet 14ymedio under anonymity, described the explosion as "one of the most costly episodes of negligence for the Cuban people." The former officer criticized the absence of immediate evacuation procedures and the lack of investment in proper maintenance of explosive materials, which could have mitigated the tragedy.
The catastrophe at Melones has stirred anxiety among the Cuban populace, who still await transparent explanations from Miguel Díaz-Canel's government about the incident.
Key Questions About the Holguín Explosion
What are the suspected causes of the Holguín explosion?
The explosion is suspected to have been caused by the storage of chemical materials and a lack of safety protocols at the Melones military base.
What was the official explanation given by Cuban authorities?
Cuban authorities officially attributed the explosion to an electrical fault caused by a short circuit.
Why are the Cuban authorities' explanations being questioned?
Skepticism stems from the immediate removal of statements about aged munitions from official sources and the lack of further clarification from MINFAR.