At least 17 people are detained and under investigation for committing thefts in homes and farms of families evacuated due to the flooding caused by hurricane Melissa in the municipality of Río Cauto, Granma province.
According to reports from the authorities themselves during a tour by the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel through affected communities, the events occurred while residents were outside their homes due to the rise of the Cauto River, the longest river in Cuba.
Neighbors reported to the leader that, while they were evacuated, their homes and agricultural properties were looted, worsening the material losses they had already suffered due to the floods.
The complaint arose during Díaz-Canel's visit to the town of Guamo Viejo, where the overflow of the river flooded 980 homes, affecting almost all of its 3,500 residents.
In the community of El Mango, one of the hardest hit, it was reported that the waters covered everything, damaging all 385 houses and the local institutions.
In light of these testimonies, Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz called for being “severe” with those who commit crimes in the midst of the tragedy.
In the dialogue with residents, the governor assured that the competent authorities will continue to act against those responsible for the thefts, while asking the people to keep working on the recovery, acknowledging that much remains to be done in the province of Granma.
In the community of El Mango, located in a plain near the coast, residents recounted that they were evacuated in amphibious vehicles from the MININT and helicopters from Holguín when the water flooded everything.
They assured that there were no loss of human lives, but there was almost total damage to homes and local infrastructure.
The residents explained that after many days without supply, they began to receive drinking water and mattresses have been distributed as part of the emergency assistance.
Díaz-Canel emphasized the need to ensure a “fair” distribution of the resources that are arriving, particularly mattresses, which the residents themselves have identified as the most immediate need, as many have become unusable after being submerged.
Local authorities reported that distribution of one mattress per household has begun and that a new shipment is on the way to meet the community's demand.
The residents emphasized that all the houses were submerged and that, although recovery has begun, the situation remains critical.
Amid this landscape of devastation, thefts from the evacuees add a new layer of vulnerability for communities that have lost almost everything.
With 17 suspects already detained and under investigation, authorities have promised to "act decisively against those responsible," as residents strive to rebuild their lives.
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