Aerial images and testimonies show on this Friday the extent of the disaster in the Cauto River, where water covers homes, fields, and industrial facilities following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, leaving hundreds of people trapped and crying out for help.
The shocking images shared through the Facebook profile of the provincial station CMKX Radio Bayamo reveal a devastating scene: homes, roads, and agricultural areas are completely submerged under water following the overflow of Cuba's largest river after the passage of the devastating weather phenomenon on Wednesday.
Authorities from the Provincial Defense Council, high-ranking officials from the Eastern Army, and leaders of the Communist Party have recently assessed the extent of the flooding, amidst rescue operations for residents cut off in several rural communities, the source reported
During the tour, officials noted significant damage to the local economy, particularly in agriculture, as well as severe impacts on homes and roads.
The president of the National Defense Council and leader Miguel Díaz-Canel spoke by phone with the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Yudelkis Ortiz Barceló, to learn details about the situation, reported in another post Radio Bayamo.
High-ranking military officials also participated, including General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, Chief of the General Staff of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).
Meanwhile, social media comments reflect the outrage of the residents. Many criticize the slow government response and assert that there are still hundreds of people trapped in hard-to-reach areas.
“No, no, everything is under control for all intents and purposes. Those were the words of the authorities. Don’t mess with me. My people are dying!” wrote a user on social media with indignation.
"There are still many people in danger. When we wait until the last moment, these things happen," wrote another citizen.
Other messages condemn that the authorities “only talk about economic damages” and demand to rescue “the desperate compatriots” before assessing material losses.
The waters of the Cauto River, which flows through several municipalities in Santiago de Cuba, Granma, and Holguín, have reached unprecedented levels in decades, sweeping away homes and causing power outages and communication disruptions throughout much of Eastern Cuba.
While the authorities insist on talking about "control" and "recovery," the images and testimonies from the ground tell a different story: that of a people left to their fate, improvising shelters and demanding answers that, once again, seem to arrive too late.
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