"We are going through an extremely difficult time," said the President of the National Defense Council (CDN), Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, acknowledging that serious damage persists in the eastern provinces after the hurricane.
During a CDN working session held in Santiago de Cuba and broadcast on the television program Mesa Redonda, he described that: "Many localities remain without electricity and drinking water service. Hundreds of people remain evacuated, and the most work remains to be done in all the areas that were flooded."
He added that the threat of rain in recent days persists, especially in Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba.
Faced with this scenario, Díaz-Canel called for strengthening local management with the direct support of citizens. "This is when popular participation is most essential, in the midst of mud, lost roofs, and lost crops," he said.
The president pointed out that organizations such as the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and the Federation of Cuban Women now need to play a more prominent role, highlighting that they have observed how the natural leaders of the people are mobilizing and working hand in hand with their neighbors to rebuild what has been destroyed.
He evoked the historical legacy of the city of Santiago, describing it as "rebellious yesterday, hospitable today, heroic always." He urged people to focus not on what has been lost, but on what they are capable of creating with effort, work, and intelligence.
The President assured that the National Defense Council will continue to work tirelessly for recovery, keeping the people informed.
SITUATION OF THE TERRITORIES
Manuel Marrero Cruz, head of the Economic and Social Body of the National Defense Council, assured that since the passage of the storm, protocols and work systems have been activated, establishing priorities.
He emphasized that the first priority has been to care for those affected. He acknowledged that, although material resources are lacking, what is most needed is "that visit, with sensitivity, to be able to assess the situation and accompany all these people."
The cleaning of roads and highways has been another crucial action to achieve communication. However, he admitted that many communities remain cut off. In response to the destruction of several bridges, alternative routes have been sought and, in the most complex cases, support is being provided by helicopter, he said.
Sanitation and hygiene in the villages is essential not only out of necessity, but also to "lift people's spirits when they see that the feeling of disaster is beginning to disappear," he explained.
PROGRESS IN BASIC SERVICES
The restoration of key infrastructure is progressing with the support of brigades from across the country. Marrero Cruz provided an updated report on services:
Electricity: Guantánamo exceeds 98%, Santiago de Cuba is at 44%, and Granma is at 86.2%. The most complex situation is that in many cases the poles have to be replaced, for which the state reserve was made available.
Communications: Overall service is at 79.5%. In landline telephony, Holguín leads with 89.3%, while in mobile telephony, the same province has 91.8%.
Another situation that is being prioritized, said the CDN member, is "confronting unscrupulous people who, in the midst of this, are taking advantage of the situation to raise prices." The instruction, he said, is to confront this "with all firmness."
AID DISTRIBUTION: TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY DECISION-MAKING
Regarding the distribution of international aid and resources, Marrero Cruz clarified that donated products are "completely free," while others—not donated—must be paid for, which sometimes causes confusion among the population.
To ensure fairness, he explained that "the community group is the one that decides" who to give the resources to, since it is the group that "really knows the situation of each family." He reiterated that this process must be done "with transparency, with popular control; people have to know what is coming in and to whom it is being delivered."
HOUSING, THE STRUCTURAL CHALLENGE
Marrero Cruz made a point of referring to housing, describing it as one of the most complex social issues in the country, even before the hurricane. He assured that its recovery is a "complex and gradual process" and one of the major impacts of this type of phenomenon.
He provided a detailed quantification of the damage to housing:
Initial report: 149,397 homes with reported damage
Technical assessment completed: 70,239 homes visited by specialized teams
Confirmed damage: 47,600 homes (approximately 68% of those assessed)
He explained that the discrepancy between the initial report and the technical confirmation is due to the fact that "some people reported that their roof was damaged, but they found the two sheets that had been blown away, replaced them, and now the home is no longer in that condition."
To speed up repairs, 490 processing offices have been activated and 40,000 technical files have been prepared. In addition, 365 points of sale for construction materials have been set up, giving priority to those most affected.
WATER: A CHRONIC PROBLEM AGGRAVATED
Marrero Cruz addressed the critical issue of water, pointing out that "it is not a problem caused by the hurricane," but rather one that has been dragging on since a prolonged drought. Regarding restoration, he reported that Guantánamo is already at 97%, Santiago de Cuba with its two systems: Turquino at 53% and Aguas Santiago at 60%.
He acknowledged problems with distribution by tanker trucks and emphasized that "more order is needed, strict control is needed so that water reaches the people who have been without service the longest." The goal, he said, is for no family to be without water, but this requires orderly management until the systems are normalized.
AGRICULTURE: INTENSIVE PLANTING TO RECOVER FOOD
Faced with 105,228 hectares affected, the Head of Government said there is a rapid response: "24,000 hectares have already been recovered," and the strategy focuses on emergency and intensive planting of short-cycle crops.
"The important thing is that we have seeds," he said, explaining that in 30 days, food can be obtained from vegetables, sweet potatoes, squash, beans, and corn. He said that emphasis will be placed on "further promoting urban, suburban, and family farming," encouraging the population to plant in any available space.
He stressed that the percentages of progress in each activity "are changing minute by minute" and work is continuing tirelessly, so the figures reported may have increased, even during the course of his own appearance.
In response to the destruction of infrastructure, Marrero Cruz pointed out that the search for alternative solutions to guarantee basic services has been promoted. He cited the example of bakeries that, having lost their roofs, have continued to produce in alternative locations.
In the education sector, he argued, classrooms have been set up in cultural centers, meeting rooms, and private homes so that children do not interrupt their learning, requesting the cooperation of parents for their reintegration.
Transportation, he said, is gradually being restored, with provincial rail services operating on some routes, although national service remains limited.
Marrero Cruz responded to those who criticize official visits to affected areas, stating that these tours are "necessary and essential." He argued that this practice follows the teachings of Fidel and Raúl Castro to "stand by the people" in difficult times.
"We have seen a people who have suffered the impacts, but who also trust in the Revolution," he said, acknowledging dissatisfaction but highlighting community participation in the recovery.
Marrero Cruz emphasized transparency as an unwavering principle: "We must speak clearly, listen, and report what we are doing without making empty promises." Although he admitted that progress will not be as fast as desired, he concluded on an optimistic note: "Little by little, we will emerge from this situation. The important thing is that we are alive, and alive we will achieve victory."
CONTAINING THE SPREAD OF ARBOVIRUSES
Dr. Carilda Peña García, Deputy Minister of Public Health, reported that the population of the eastern provinces faces a complex situation due to the spread of chikungunya, a highly symptomatic disease that causes high fever and joint inflammation, leaving sequelae that can incapacitate patients during its chronic stage.
She specified that, as part of the protocol established for the care of arboviruses, a group of specific measures has been implemented to address this phenomenon, including the activation of temporary working groups with technical and scientific analysis, and trials focused on controlling the transmitting vector are being developed.
She added that there is an established protocol that includes care for the most vulnerable groups, such as those over 75 years of age and newborns, while emphasizing that medications and vaccines against respiratory viruses are available for these groups.
She emphasized that they are also working with adults who live alone, "a protocol that we are testing in the territory to protect this population group, which is also significantly affected."
The Deputy Minister considered that the vector control strategy is "the cornerstone for winning this battle" against the mosquito that transmits the disease.
She specified that there are around 600 fumigation machines available in all provinces of the country, with the aim of reaching the areas with the highest levels of transmission as quickly as possible.
She highlighted the importance of the community in detecting possible outbreaks within the home through family and workplace self-monitoring.
RESTORATION OF ELECTRICITY SERVICE
Regarding the complex situation of the electricity system in the eastern provinces, Alfredo López Valdés, general director of the Electric Union, said that in the coming days, service is expected to be restored in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba and then in the rest of the territories.
In the case of Guamá, one of the municipalities most affected by Hurricane Melissa, a line is being installed with the help of a contingent from the Ministry of Communications, in addition to a generator. Brigades from several provinces of the country are working on this effort and will remain in the territory until service is fully restored.
SANTIAGO DEFINES THREE PRIORITIES FOR THE WORK
In her speech, the president of the Provincial Defense Council of Santiago de Cuba, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, commented that actions in the territory are focused on three priorities; one of them is to complete the cleanup, including pruning and collection, of the trees that remain not only in the city but throughout the territory by November 28.
She added that they are also working on health care, specifying that there are four municipalities experiencing an arbovirus epidemic, mainly related to dengue and chikungunya, which is why the main efforts are focused on prioritizing health programs.
She added that the province went from a state of total drought, with a very complex situation with the reservoirs, to experiencing major flooding.
This, she said, was partly due to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Imelda and, a few weeks later, Hurricane Melissa, so the third priority is focused on addressing the main impacts that occurred in the province.
GRANMA MAINTAINS HYDROGEOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE
The vice president of the Granma CDP, Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez, explained that four of the province's 13 municipalities are now back to normal, and that in the last 48 hours, hydrological surveillance has been increased due to rainfall recorded mainly in mountainous areas.
In general, she said that 333 people are still being sheltered in eight centers and there are 91 families with 185 members in the assisted category, who have been relocated to state-owned premises adapted for this purpose.
He specified that more than 53 communities in Granma remain inaccessible by traditional roads, but alternatives have been sought to ensure the well-being of those who live there, while progress is being made with the participation of local brigades and those from other territories in the recovery of road infrastructure, particularly mountain roads.
Terry Gutiérrez commented that among the main effects are those on housing, with total and partial collapses, damage to roofs and floors due to flooding, mainly in the municipalities of Río Cauto, Cauto Cristo, and Jiguaní, which may increase as visits by housing technicians are carried out.
On the other hand, in the case of infrastructure, the main damage is to mattresses, other personal belongings, and household appliances.
RECOVERY PROGRESSES IN GUANTÁNAMO
The president of the Provincial Defense Council, Yoel Pérez García, said that support continues for families who lost their homes, many of whom have been relocated to temporary settlements. He stressed that they are working under the principle of leaving everything better than it was before the storm.
In the health sector, he confirmed the existence of disease transmission in several municipalities, with comprehensive protocols being applied with community participation. He acknowledged the efforts of workers in the electricity sector, although challenges remain in mountainous areas.
With regard to water supply, alternatives are being used to reach the few places without service. In terms of food, the distribution of basic products and international donations continues.
The education sector is showing progress, with all institutions operating using alternative solutions where damage has occurred. The health system is in a similar situation, with its units maintaining services despite the damage.
In terms of transportation, only one town remains to be connected by rail. The authorities emphasized the need to control prices to prevent speculation in difficult times.
WORKING NON-STOP IN HOLGUÍN AND LAS TUNAS
The president of the Holguín Provincial Defense Council, Joel Queipo Ruiz, reported that, as a preventive measure before the arrival of Hurricane Melissa, hundreds of thousands of people were protected through evacuations to designated centers and transfers to safe housing.
Regarding the water supply—one of the most pressing issues—he specified that a significant part of the supply to the population affected by the interruption of the network has been restored. In several municipalities, which were already facing droughts before the weather event, access to water is now guaranteed in greater volume.
Queipo Ruiz also pointed out that most customers now have electricity, although there are still outages in municipalities that were particularly hard hit by the floods.
As for telecommunications, service has been restored to numerous users. "With the same force as a hurricane," said the official, recovery work is progressing in organic gardens, nurseries, bakeries, and warehouses, while the basic food basket is being distributed "with the support of local producers throughout the province."
In the province of Las Tunas, where thousands of people were sheltered, minor damage has been reported compared to other areas in the east of the country.
Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, president of the Provincial Defense Council, pointed out that electricity service has been fully restored, although some isolated outages still persist. In telecommunications, all services have been restored.
With regard to road infrastructure, he acknowledged minor damage, with no significant interruptions to traffic. In the agricultural sector, the damage has also been minor, and support has been received to speed up recovery. In addition, the basic food basket is being distributed and "the agricultural trade fair will be held soon," he announced.
