Six men were injured - two critically, two seriously, and one with minor injuries - following the explosion of several mortars around five in the morning this Saturday in the area designated for the fireworks in the La Loma neighborhood, in the town of Guayos, in the province of Sancti Spíritus.
The explosion occurred in some bags of what are known as mortars, located near the Cultural House of the town, according to sources from the Provincial Government.
The explosion abruptly interrupted the start of the traditional parrandas of Guayos, in the municipality of Cabaiguán, reported the official newspaper Escambray.
He indicated that the injured were initially treated at the local clinic and immediately transferred by the Integrated Medical Emergency System to the Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial General Hospital, where a multidisciplinary team is assessing the condition of each patient in the Burn Care Unit.
Dr. Tatiana Hernández González, a second-degree specialist in Plastic Surgery and Burn Treatment, reported that the injured individuals were admitted around six in the morning and are receiving specialized care.
They are all men between the ages of 30 and 40, except for one who is 50, sources from the hospital center confirmed, stating that they have the necessary resources for their care.
After the accident, authorities from Cabaiguán and the Ministry of Culture went to the site; meanwhile, at the hospital, Yaquelín de la Paz Ramos and José Martínez Hernández, coordinators of Programs and Objectives of the Provincial Government, are present, the source specified.
The competent authorities of the Ministry of the Interior are investigating the causes of the explosion.
The traditional parrandas of Guayos were supposed to take place at the beginning of November, but were postponed despite the residents' discontent, who had been preparing for months to celebrate the centenary of the festival, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The decision was confirmed by local authorities through an official statement in which economic, health, and social sensitivity reasons were cited due to the national situation following Hurricane Melissa, which devastated eastern Cuba, "and a very difficult epidemiological situation due to the circulation of various arboviruses."
However, they clarified that "once conditions permit, the major festival of Guayos can be held, for which all resources acquired to date will be preserved, as the main objective is to not lose one of the cultural expressions with the greatest roots and most identity in this central region of Cuba."
However, many people from Guayas considered the suspension unjustified and interpreted it as yet another indication of the lack of political will to support popular cultural expressions amid the widespread crisis in the country.
This 2025 marks the centenary of the festival, a milestone for generations of people from Sancti Spíritus who, even in times of scarcity, have defended the right to celebrate their culture and local identity.
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