Cuba's leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel, stated on Thursday that, "as of now," there have been no reported human casualties following Hurricane Melissa's passage through eastern Cuba, despite significant material damage and accounts confirming at least two deaths in Santiago de Cuba.
During a meeting of the National Defense Council, broadcast on the program From the Presidency, Díaz-Canel noted that "the few possessions of thousands of families, crops ready for harvest, many developed as part of municipal self-sufficiency concepts, infrastructures, and essential services for the population were lost, but not life itself."
"Up to this moment, no harm has been reported, and we have not had to mourn the loss of any human life, although there were dramatic and complex situations," the president mentioned, highlighting the evacuation efforts while acknowledging that there was "resistance" or coordination issues in some areas.
The meeting, organized as a Round Table discussion and supported by videoconference, focused on assessing recovery efforts in the eastern provinces most impacted by the hurricane.
Conflicting Reports and Alleged Victims
Díaz-Canel's statements stand in contrast to reports from independent media and religious authorities confirming the deaths of at least two people in Santiago de Cuba.
The parish priest Rogelio Dean Puerta, rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, reported on October 29 about the death of "an elderly person" in that locality, devastated by the hurricane's winds and rains.
A day later, relatives and neighbors in Palma Soriano confirmed the death of Roberto Rodríguez Munder, aged 56, who was swept away by a river current while attempting to cross during the heavy rains. His body was discovered on Thursday morning.
As of now, Cuban authorities have not officially acknowledged any of these deaths.
Massive Evacuations and System Limitations
The Cuban government has emphasized the effectiveness of its civil defense system in the face of natural disasters. However, official discourse revealed that over 95% of those evacuated during Hurricane Melissa took refuge in the homes of family or neighbors, not in state-run centers.
Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Communist Party's Central Committee, stated during a Round Table on October 29 that this response demonstrates "the unity and solidarity of the Cuban people," although he admitted that most people sheltered in private homes, highlighting the limitations of the state system to provide refuge.
In Santiago de Cuba, the President of the Provincial Defense Council, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, reported that more than 168,000 people were evacuated, marking the largest operation of its kind since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Destruction in the East and Regional Impact
Hurricane Melissa made landfall early Wednesday in eastern Cuba, causing severe flooding, widespread blackouts, and destroying thousands of homes in Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Granma.
Regionally, Melissa has claimed at least 49 lives in the Caribbean, mainly in Haiti and Jamaica, according to international agencies. In Cuba, although the government remains silent on victims, citizen and religious reports indicate a scenario of severe material damage and unacknowledged human losses.
The National Defense Council maintains a state of alert, as local authorities strive to advance the recovery of isolated and severely affected communities.
Key Questions on Hurricane Melissa's Impact in Cuba
What did Díaz-Canel say about casualties following Hurricane Melissa?
Díaz-Canel stated that there have been no reported casualties so far, despite significant material damage and reports confirming at least two deaths in Santiago de Cuba.
How effective was Cuba's evacuation system during the hurricane?
Over 95% of evacuees found shelter with family or neighbors, highlighting both the solidarity of the Cuban people and the limitations of the state system in providing refuge.