The floods that occurred in the Guantanamo municipality of San Antonio del Sur during the passage of Hurricane Oscar have left haunting images.
Some of them recount the brave efforts of certain individuals to assist neighbors, many of whom are elderly, who would have lost their lives without help.
Three videos shared on Facebook by the digital creator identified on social networks as Luis ViralInfluencer Suárez show how two elderly people - a man and a woman - were helped by several young people who went to fetch them from their homes in the middle of a street turned into a river with strong currents.
"Brave young people are rescuing individuals to take them to a higher place due to the flooding from Hurricane Oscar. The rescuers are Freidi Ramírez, Henry Durán, and Onelis," wrote the mentioned source.
"San Antonio del Sur hurts," wrote journalist Miguel Reyes on Facebook early this Tuesday, who has documented the extent of the flooding in that Guantanamo town with videos and photos since the beginning.
However, as the hours passed, the situation worsened and it was reported that in addition to San Antonio, the municipality of Imías was also devastated.
So far, the official death toll is seven people - including a mother and her five-year-old daughter - but many claim that the actual number of deaths is higher.
Although the massive blackout that kept the country in the dark since noon last Friday hindered Cubans from being informed about the arrival of the weather phenomenon, the Cuban government argues that evacuations were indeed carried out.
In total, more than 15,000 people were evacuated: 9,000 in Imías and 6,000 in San Antonio del Sur, according to a report by the Granma newspaper on Monday.
However, the images of what happened both in San Antonio del Sur and in Imías are shocking: flooded homes, lost food, and many families struggling to recover the little they have been able to salvage.
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez highlighted in an emergency meeting that, although initially Oscar seemed "like a small cyclone," its strength and speed transformed it into a devastating phenomenon for the eastern region of the country.
Members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) participated in the rescue efforts, particularly in the areas most affected by the floodwaters, which reached heights of over one meter.
Recovery efforts are already underway, but the challenge is enormous in a country that is experiencing a deep economic crisis and in all areas.
The passage of Hurricane Oscar through Guantánamo has left a toll of destruction and death that will mark the province for a long time. Although the cyclone has moved away from Cuba many hours ago, the recovery work is just beginning.
"All of Cuba in function of Guantánamo," declared Miguel Díaz-Canel.
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