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The agricultural producer Alexander Escalona held local authorities accountable for the severe flooding that devastated his farm in Holguín, after a dam was opened without prior warning following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
"The worst part wasn't the hurricane; it was the dam they opened without warning," the farmer reported in a post on Facebook, which has sparked a wave of outrage.
In his message, Escalona denounced the complete lack of communication from the authorities responsible for managing a dam near his farm in Mayarí, whose sudden opening caused a devastating flood that destroyed years of work and effort.
According to him, "no one thought to inform the producer who collaborates with the social assistance in the area, whom they call every day when they need something."
The shared images show completely flooded fields, destroyed facilities, and animals trapped in the mud and water, a scene that contrasts with the official narrative about the supposed "effectiveness" of the civil defense system and the government's management of the hurricane.
"My dissatisfaction is not with the decision to release water from the dam, but with the lack of communication from those who, instead of being responsible, carried out such an act without prior notification," he wrote indignantly.
The producer detailed that he lost irrigation systems, work tools, carts, fumigation backpacks, water pumps, solar panels, fertilizers, chemicals, animals, and all the seeds of pumpkin, beans, lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes from various agricultural campaigns.
Her complaint highlights the lack of institutional coordination and the government's failure to prepare for emergencies, while the national agriculture sector continues to plummet.
"The worst part is that it wasn't Melissa who was affected, but rather the dam they started discharging without prior notice," he lamented.
Another example of the neglect of Cuban agriculture
Escalona's complaint highlights the negligence and disorganization of local authorities, who made decisions without coordinating with the producers, many of whom are responsible for sustaining the country's fragile food supply with their harvests.
While state media insists on the "rapid recovery" and the "achievements" of the official management, farmers are facing irreparable losses without technical support or resources.
The case of Escalona is not an isolated one.
In several areas of eastern Cuba, producers report similar damages due to the irresponsible management of reservoirs during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
The lack of maintenance, corruption in water management, and the absence of notification protocols worsen the consequences of each climatic event.
A direct blow to an agriculture already in ruins
The losses suffered by the producer represent another blow to Cuban agriculture, a sector that was already in a critical state due to shortages of supplies, fuel, and equipment.
Each destroyed farm, every lost irrigation system, and every ruined seed results in less food for a population that has been struggling for years amid scarcity and inflation.
Although the regime blames external factors for the crisis, the reality presents a different picture: internal disorganization, lack of planning, and insufficient real support for farmers are the direct causes of the productive collapse.
Between propaganda and reality
While official media spreads images of officials on tours and in meetings, Alexander Escalona's story reflects the true face of rural Cuba: abandoned producers, unresponsive institutions, and a system that continues to prioritize rhetoric over action.
His complaint, now a symbol of resistance and frustration, articulates what many farmers feel: "That's why we are where we are."
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