The Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel urged the people of Santiago de Cuba to exercise "popular control" over the distribution of donations arriving in the province, amid concerns regarding the genuine and effective distribution of this aid and ongoing doubts about the misappropriation and sale of donated resources.
During a tour of the Sigua Popular Council, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, Díaz-Canel stated: “Donations must be well organized for distribution, with popular oversight ensuring that everything reaches those in need, so that we can move forward in this way.”
The report from the state television stated that the president made the remarks during a visit accompanied by Vice Prime Ministers Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca and Eduardo Martínez Díaz, as well as Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, president of the Provincial Defense Council.
In his speech, he also discussed the installation of a desalination plant to supply water to the community and the repair of the telecommunications signal, topics that frequently appear in official addresses but rarely materialize into real actions.
As often happens in this type of television report, where the regime's acceptance is wavering, the script included the intervention of a “grateful citizen,” who had become an actress, praising the government's role and repeating the usual political slogans.
"We are satisfied with your unconditional support... Long live the Revolution!" the woman exclaimed before the cameras, in a carefully staged scene designed to showcase popular backing.
While the regime tries to project an image of control and organization, social media reflects a different reality: communities that denounce the lack of transparency in the distribution of aid, the slow pace of recovery, and the political use of donations.
However, the Cuban leader must be very careful with what he wishes for, as it might backfire. Recently, there have been increasing reports "and monitoring" of the products being delivered in Santiago de Cuba following Hurricane Melissa, such as those related to the sale of expired canned fish.
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