In a video shared on social media this Friday, a local official insists that there was no need for a massive evacuation of the population in the municipality of Río Cauto, while residents and users on Facebook report dangers and demand urgent rescues in flooded communities following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
The statement, delivered before visibly concerned neighbors, aims to convey reassurance and emphasize that the authorities deem the situation manageable, without ordering general evacuations.
However, the reaction in community groups on Facebook reflects a very different opinion: messages of fear, outrage, and urgent calls for rescue.
In the group Revolico Río Cauto, users harshly replicated and questioned the official version. Some comments express the fear of the population: “I don’t know what they think to remove us from the people of Río Cauto. God protect us,” wrote Leidis Ávila.
"Normality where, government of Cuba? Río Cauto is a horror movie," said another neighbor.
Other messages are more forceful: "What are you waiting for to rescue them? Do you want them to die?"
“There is no need for a mass evacuation and the water behind them, currently reaching the highest point of Río Cauto,” added a user, in a tone of disbelief.
Criticism goes beyond the denial of the evacuation. Many accuse the authorities of downplaying the danger in hard-to-reach areas and delaying relief operations.
The contrast between the "control" image that officials attempt to project and the perception of risk on the ground deepens the distrust among the residents.
A video shared on social media this Saturday showcases the extent of the flooding in the municipality of Río Cauto, in the province of Granma, where residents claim that “90% of the people will lose everything.”
Visual sources and testimonies gathered on the last day show isolated communities, flooded homes, and blocked roads in the Cauto valley.
Neighbors warn that the advancing water and soil saturation increase the possibility of new emergencies if rescues and the transfer of at-risk individuals are not expedited.
In light of that scenario, the insistence on avoiding a massive evacuation raises urgent questions about the civil protection criteria applied and the actual capacity for access and response in the most affected areas.
The residents demand immediate and visible measures: boats, rescue equipment, alternative routes for evacuation, and medical and food assistance for those who remain isolated.
Meanwhile, the public discussion on social media remains heated. Many residents are demanding that the priority should not be damage assessment or the narrative of "control," but rather the immediate safeguarding of human lives in the areas of the valley where the water has not yet receded.
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