Cuba is mobilizing many of its forces to rebuild the territories that have suffered the passage of Hurricane Melissa, with the aim of advancing recovery as an essential goal, according to what emerged yesterday at the meeting to review these tasks, led by the President of the National Defense Council, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
The issue of electricity service in each affected territory in the eastern part of the country was the first item on the agenda of a day that also included the presence of the Vice President of the Republic, Salvador Valdés Mesa, and Army Corps General and Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARs), Álvaro López Miera—both members of the Political Bureau— as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, reported that, with regard to the restoration of electrical service, as of 12 noon yesterday, the province of Las Tunas was at 94.5%; Holguín, at 40.5%; Granma, at 50.4%; and Guantánamo, at 58.7%. As for Santiago de Cuba, the minister said that many circuits are already prepared for when the Felton thermoelectric plant is operational. At that point, he said, the recovery will be remarkable.
The head of state asked whether progress had been made in repairing electricity poles, to which the Minister of Energy and Mines replied affirmatively, in addition to sharing other information of interest, such as that the generators have the necessary fuel; vital centers have power; and that one of the work objectives is to restore the damaged electrical transformers, which number more than 300 throughout the east.
It was also reported that donations are being received from nations and international organizations, as well as from MSMEs in various provinces. In this regard, the Minister of Economy and Planning (MEP), Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, stated that all aid received will be made available to each Provincial Defense Council. Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga listed other donations, including kitchen units, tools, boots, toiletries, food, and medicines.
The restoration of a service as precious as drinking water was also part of the analysis. On this issue, the president of the National Institute of Water Resources, Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez, reported that seven pumping units have already been repaired and sent to the eastern region, and that work is being done on fronts such as sanitation to reduce obstructions.
Antonio Rodríguez stated that the province of Las Tunas already has the same services as it did before Melissa struck; Holguín is 54.7% restored; Granma is at 30%; Guantánamo is at 81.2%; and Santiago de Cuba is at 84.3%. Regarding the latter territory, the official pointed out that work is being done to guarantee water to the municipality of Palma Soriano, and that pumping solutions are still being sought for the municipality of Contramaestre.
Chemical industry products and medical insurance were among the issues discussed at Monday's meeting. The First Deputy Minister of Public Health, Tania Margarita Cruz Hernández, said that medical care is being maintained in all evacuation centers; that surgical teams are on standby in case of urgent transfers to critical locations; and that, among many other tasks, work is being done on sanitation, which is essential to prevent disease.
OTHER FRONTS OF THE RECOVERY
In terms of communications, while work is being done to restore fiber optics, satellite solutions for radio bases, and repair poles, an initial survey of damage to the service and its infrastructure has already been conducted, which will serve as a guide for continuing to improve the situation in eastern Cuba.
The construction front, as reported in the assessment, includes the distribution of roof tiles, solutions for aggregates, goals such as bridge restoration, sanitation, and moving forward with the option of containers—enabled and with the possibility of improvement—as a quick alternative in cases of total collapse of a house.
The Minister of Education, Naima Ariatne Trujillo Barreto, explained that 1,552 educational centers have been affected and that a hundred of the facilities used for teaching have served as shelters for evacuees (some 14,000).
From the Civil Defense perspective, vital tasks such as water purification were discussed, as well as the important issue of helping to speed up the distribution of donations arriving from all over.
Some 120,000 people remain evacuated. The country's leadership exchanged information with the authorities of each affected territory via videoconference. Among other data, Santiago de Cuba reported that the municipality of Guamá and the town of El Cobre, located in the provincial capital, are the places facing the greatest challenges; in Granma, the municipality of Río Cauto is the one under the most strain; and in Holguín, Sagua de Tánamo, Cacocum, and Cueto are in particular need of water supply services.
In Guantánamo, the easternmost province of the island, intensive work is being done on sanitation, and 19 settlements remain cut off. In Las Tunas, some 300 homes have been affected. The authorities in Granma province extended their heartfelt thanks to Las Tunas, as well as to all of Cuba, for all the help provided. More than 3,000 people from Granma have been taken in by Las Tunas during these difficult times.
ALERTS FROM WISDOM
Multiple lessons can be drawn from these hours of contingency. Thus, the discipline required to save lives was a condition reflected upon, towards the end of the inspection, by Army Corps General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, First Deputy Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).
Among other assessments, he stated that the unity of the FAR with the Ministry of the Interior, the Party, and the Government became, in these difficult days, an "unstoppable fist" that has put a stop to possible destruction and regrettable loss of human life. Along the same lines of reasoning, he emphasized the importance of complying with what has been established.
As Army Corps General and Minister of the FAR Álvaro López Miera analyzed, lessons can be learned from everything that has been experienced, and it would be unforgivable to forget them. Drawing on his vast experience, the member of the Political Bureau spoke about vital issues for reducing damage in future events similar to this one.
