From the Palace of the Revolution, and with videoconference participation from all regions of the country, a new session of the National Defense Council took place on Monday afternoon to monitor the recovery efforts being carried out in eastern Cuba, three weeks after Hurricane Melissa.
The detailed review of this matter of utmost priority for the nation was led by the President of that body, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, and also included members of the Political Bureau, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, who chaired the meeting, and the Vice President of the National Defense Council, Salvador Valdés Mesa.
Amid the adversities caused by the difficult economic situation facing Cuba, the recovery process is progressing with the implementation of immediate actions in key services such as electricity.
Regarding its gradual restoration, the First Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Argelio Abad Vigoa, pointed out that, overall, the eastern region has recovered 84.8%. Specifically, he detailed that the province of Holguín is at 93.12%; Granma at 96.19%; Santiago de Cuba at 60%, although the capital city is practically finished; Guantánamo at 99.0%; and Las Tunas at 100%. According to his explanation, at the time of the meeting, all municipal capitals already had electricity service.
Another vital service being closely monitored is the water supply, whose restoration was addressed by Bladimir Matos Moya, First Vice President of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources. Specifically, in Holguín province, he said that the affected population has almost fully recovered, although some issues remain in the municipalities of Urbano Noris and Mayarí.
In Granma province, he explained that recovery efforts had stalled because the rains from the recent cold front prevented the continued assembly of several pieces of equipment that had to be evacuated before Hurricane Melissa.
Regarding Santiago de Cuba, he commented that infrastructure was at an average of 88% recovery, with the most significant damage concentrated in Contramaestre due to unstable power outages.
Concerning road repairs, Transportation Minister Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila reported that a thorough certification process of the entire central highway to Santiago de Cuba had begun in recent days. During the week, he assured, track maintenance crews will begin inspecting the section between Jobabo, Guamo, and Bayamo, the most damaged stretch, to expedite the restoration and reach Granma province.
Arid efforts are underway across all sectors to repair the damage caused by Melissa as quickly as possible and overcome the challenges it has brought. At the meeting, it was reported that, overall, in the provinces hit by the cyclone, landline telephone service has been restored to 83.2%, and mobile service to 88%.
From Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, and Holguín, the top officials of the provincial defense councils reported on the situation in each territory, based on the assessment of the damage left by the hurricane in its wake, especially to homes and economic assets, as well as the actions being implemented during this complex economic and social recovery phase.
