In the midst of Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel's visit to San Antonio del Sur in Guantánamo province, a man responsible for 29 children at a special needs school voiced a poignant accusation against the government. He claimed they were abandoned in the facility just before Hurricane Oscar made landfall on October 20. The statement came amidst the severe flooding triggered by the cyclone, which preliminarily claimed seven lives in the Guantánamo municipality.
Addressing Díaz-Canel, who had assured that "no Cuban has been left to fend for themselves" during this natural disaster, the man, visibly distressed, countered, "We were left all alone with 29 children. I had to evacuate my five children, we almost drowned." His remarks highlighted the government's failure to fulfill its promise of leaving a rescue team in case of a river overflow.
"The government took us to that school and left us alone. They said they would leave a team in case the river overflowed, but they didn't. I had to rescue these people with the help of another," he expressed. Attempting to justify the government's actions, Díaz-Canel responded, "The goal was to evacuate people at risk, but the phenomenon exceeded all expectations. We'll look into this," aiming to reassure those affected.
The Struggle in Guantánamo
The situation remains tense in Guantánamo, as those affected by the hurricane continue to voice their anger over the lack of support and resources during the crisis. Many families are desperately seeking assistance to locate missing loved ones, while the regime has confirmed the deaths of seven individuals due to the flooding. San Antonio del Sur and Imías emerged as the hardest-hit areas by Oscar's passage, with Díaz-Canel arriving three days post-disaster, insisting, "All of Cuba is here for you. (...) Rest assured, you are neither alone nor abandoned," he told the Guantánamo residents.
Unprepared and in the Dark
Hurricane Oscar struck the eastern region during a nationwide power outage, leaving many uninformed about the storm's severity due to the lack of electricity that isolated most communities. In rural areas, numerous families failed to evacuate timely, losing everything, including their livestock, crops, properties, and in some cases, their lives.
Official reports indicate that only 15,000 people were evacuated in Guantánamo: 9,000 from Imías and 6,000 from San Antonio del Sur. The aftermath has left a trail of devastation, with individuals struggling to rebuild amidst the chaos and tragedy.