In the La Marina neighborhood of Matanzas, the water crisis has become an unbearable burden for the families living on six blocks, where the service is virtually non-existent.
Weeks, and even months, without regular access to water have left residents reliant on empty cisterns and deteriorating pipes, a situation worsened by breaks and leaks in the higher areas that prevent water from reaching homes, according to the state-run newspaper Girón.
Amid this bleak landscape, a local hero emerges, affectionately known by the neighbors as Espartaco. His mission, though he does not wield swords or lead armies, is equally intense and vital to his community.
With an improvised cart and an indomitable will, Espartaco travels the roads to the nearest springs, returning with the vital liquid that the pipes fail to supply and that the regime cannot guarantee. He becomes for the residents of La Marina not just a bearer of water, but also of hope.
Despite his titanic efforts, Espartaco's work is not enough to alleviate a problem that demands urgent attention and structural solutions from the authorities.
The lack of maintenance in the distribution networks, combined with the absence of investments to ensure access to drinking water, has left residents in a situation of extreme precariousness.
The responsible institutions must take on their role and provide alternatives that restore a basic and vital service to this community.
Meanwhile, in La Marina, Espartaco has become a symbol of resilience and solidarity.
But her figure also highlights an unacceptable reality: the survival of these six blocks cannot rely solely on an anonymous hero.
"The well-being of these six blocks cannot rely solely on an anonymous hero; it requires a system that guarantees access to water as what it is: a vital matter," Girón emphasized.
Water supply issues are not confined to a single province in Cuba. The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that the water scarcity experienced by the population in Havana has worsened following Hurricane Rafael's passage through the city.
During a tour to assess the damage caused by the phenomenon, it was reported that some water supply sources experienced breaks and are gradually recovering.
Recently, residents of Luyanó, in the Havana municipality of Diez de Octubre, voiced their dissatisfaction and concern over the water shortage they have been experiencing for weeks.
Those affected, especially women, are demanding a solution to this issue, which adds to the prolonged and persistent blackouts and other social difficulties that impact the daily lives of Cubans.
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