The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel assured this Thursday that, "so far," no human casualties have been reported following the passage of Hurricane Melissa through eastern Cuba, despite the significant material damages and testimonies confirming at least two deaths in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
During a meeting of the National Defense Council, broadcast on the program Desde la Presidencia, Díaz-Canel stated that “the few possessions of thousands of families were lost, crops ready for harvest, many cultivations that had developed as part of the concepts of municipal self-sufficiency, infrastructures and facilities essential for serving the population, occurrences of all kinds, except for life.”
"Up to this moment, no damages have been reported, nor have we had to mourn the loss of any human lives, although there were dramatic situations and complex circumstances," said the president, who praised the evacuation efforts and acknowledged that in some areas there was "resistance" or deficiencies in coordination.
The meeting, broadcast in the format of Round Table and supported by videoconference, was dedicated to assessing the recovery in the eastern provinces most affected by the hurricane.
Contradictions and reports of victims
Díaz-Canel's statements contrast with reports from independent media and religious authorities that confirm the death of at least two people in Santiago de Cuba.
The parish priest Rogelio Dean Puerta, rector of the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, reported on October 29 about the death of "an elderly person" in that area, devastated by the winds and rains of the hurricane.
One day later, family members and neighbors from Palma Soriano confirmed the death of Roberto Rodríguez Munder, 56 years old, who was swept away by the current of a river while trying to cross it during the heavy rains. His body was found on Thursday morning.
So far, the Cuban authorities have not officially acknowledged any of these deaths.
Mass evacuations and precariousness
The Cuban government has highlighted the effectiveness of its civil defense system in the face of natural disasters. However, the official discourse itself revealed that more than 95% of those evacuated during Hurricane Melissa sought refuge in the homes of family or neighbors, rather than in state-run centers.
Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, stated in a Round Table on October 29 that this response demonstrates “the unity and solidarity of the Cuban people,” although he admitted that most people sought shelter in private homes, which highlights the limitations of the state system to provide accommodation.
In Santiago de Cuba, the President of the Provincial Defense Council, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, reported that over 168,000 people were evacuated in the largest operation of its kind since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Damage in the east and regional balance
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Wednesday morning in eastern Cuba, causing severe flooding, total power outages, and thousands of homes destroyed in Holguín, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Granma.
At the regional level, Melissa has caused at least 49 deaths in the Caribbean, primarily in Haiti and Jamaica, according to data from international agencies. In Cuba, although the government remains silent about casualties, citizen and religious reports indicate a situation of severe material damage and human losses that have yet to be officially acknowledged.
The National Defense Council has kept the state of alert active while local authorities attempt to make progress in the recovery of isolated communities severely affected.
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