Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of desperate pleas for assistance on Facebook groups, specifically from San Antonio del Sur and Imías. Families, both from abroad and within Cuba, have been urgently seeking to locate their loved ones. "Does anyone know anything about the beach?" asked Leticia Polo in the Facebook group Revolico San Antonio del Sur. Providing some relief, a user responded in the comments, "As of now, my mom said there were no fatalities at the beach. Many people lost their animals and material possessions."
In another heart-wrenching account, a woman reported that in Pan de Azúcar, also in San Antonio, houses were submerged by floodwaters, forcing residents to escape by breaking through their rooftops. "Please, does anyone have news about the people in Macambo?" Luis Miguel Rodríguez inquired in another post. Meanwhile, Cristian Matos asked, "What is known? Any updates, please? I can't communicate with the people there, just like many others."
Struggles with Connectivity
In several instances, requests for help and information have received few or no responses, largely due to the poor connectivity that prevailed in the areas most affected by Hurricane Oscar. The storm wreaked havoc in Guantánamo with heavy rains, lingering over the region with little movement. Aseneht Leyva took a different approach by posting photos of her sister, nephews, and brother-in-law—also residents of San Antonio del Sur—hoping to gather information. "They are fine now. I saw them an hour or two ago," Freidi Ramirez replied.
Fátima Lobaina Matos sought reassurance about her family in Yateritas. "I need to know if anyone has information about Yateritas. I'm worried about my family," she wrote, later finding relief in comments reporting that Yateritas fared better compared to other parts of Guantánamo.
Rewards Offered Amid Desperation
In recent hours, Cuban activist Yamilka Lafita, known as Lara Crofs, mentioned she had a half-brother and a nephew "missing" in Imías. "I just found out that my half-brother and nephew are missing in Imías. Walter Lafita is 55 years old, Marcos Lafita 27," she posted on Facebook. Meanwhile, Oscar Junior Guilarte Rodríguez, a Cuban living outside Guantánamo, offered a reward of 30,000 CUP for information about his family, who were left isolated in La Tinta, Imías, after the hurricane's passage. Guilarte shared his anguish on Facebook, noting he had gone five days without hearing from his loved ones and neighbors.
Another plea for help came from Noel Samón Méndez-Gallego, who was searching for his daughter and two grandchildren trapped by sudden floods in San Antonio del Sur on Sunday night.
Tragic Consequences and Government Response
The province of Guantánamo, especially areas within the municipalities of Imías and San Antonio del Sur, was cut off due to floods caused by Oscar before it weakened to a tropical storm. Cuban authorities initially confirmed that six people, including a mother and her five-year-old daughter, died in San Antonio del Sur due to the hurricane's severe impact. A seventh victim was later reported in Imías, a region also devastated by the storm.
Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly expressed condolences for the deaths, while rescue operations and damage assessments continue in the hardest-hit areas, many of which remain flooded. The overlap of Oscar's impact in eastern Cuba with the collapse of the National Electric System left hundreds of thousands without accurate information about the storm, raising alarms among civil society over the increased risks to residents in that region.