A Cuban citizen has taken to social media this Thursday, offering his personal vehicle, a Moskvitch, to transport donations this Friday to San Antonio del Sur for those affected by Hurricane Oscar. "I'm offering my car for tomorrow to help deliver donations to San Antonio del Sur. 51463617," Wilmer Fernández posted in the Facebook group Revolico Guantanamero.
The post has garnered over 9,400 reactions and more than 1,700 comments in a few hours, with many praising his generosity and others providing specific directions to churches or locations with donations but lacking transportation. This is hardly surprising given the severe fuel shortage plaguing Cuba.
Wilmer's initiative is just one of numerous efforts emerging across the country to coordinate various solidarity initiatives, whether by individuals, religious groups of different denominations, or independent activists. From Santiago de Cuba, Archbishop García Ibáñez has urged participation in the Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year for the 500th Anniversary of the Diocese of Santiago de Cuba, scheduled for this Saturday, October 26, at 9:30 a.m. at the Holy Cathedral Church. He encourages attendees to aid "our Guantanamero brothers."
"We believe it is fitting to contribute, from the little we have, to our Guantanamero brothers affected by Hurricane Oscar," stated the Archbishop. He noted that Monsignor Silvano Pedrosa, Bishop of Guantánamo-Baracoa, will be present at the mass. "This would be a good opportunity to deliver what we have managed to collect among us. It would be a gesture of profound ecclesial and human significance. Charity unites us. Let us be generous. Parish priests and community organizers can gather the donations and bring them to the Cathedral that day. Donations can be deposited in the parish hall of the cathedral, where they will be prepared for delivery," he concluded.