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The hurricane Melissa left a devastating toll in eastern Cuba, with more than 116,000 homes damaged and thousands of families still waiting for assistance, according to official data presented during the XI Plenary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.
However, the report summarized the tragedy in just one sentence: “As for the homes, 116,100 are reported to be affected…”.
The figure, although high, is viewed with suspicion by the Cubans themselves, who are accustomed to a lack of transparency in official reports.
During the meeting, President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted the "discipline of the people" and the "dedication" of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior in the evacuation efforts.
"There were people who risked their lives to save others," he stated, insisting that human lives were not lost thanks to the state's organization.
However, in the hardest-hit provinces —Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, and Guantánamo— the affected families are experiencing a very different reality.
The recovery is progressing slowly, and Santiago de Cuba remains the only province that has not entered a phase of normalcy.
According to Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, president of the Provincial Defense Council in Santiago de Cuba, more than 93 thousand homes were affected just in that area, in addition to severe damage to roadways, electrical networks, telecommunications, and agricultural crops.
The official acknowledged that, more than 40 days after the hurricane, the province has still not managed to restore 100% of the electrical service, especially in mountainous areas such as the Tercer Frente municipality, where restoration only reaches 81%.
“We are working with support from brigades from other areas, but the conditions of the terrain are slowing our progress. We estimate another week of work,” explained the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy.
In total, the Civil Defense report indicated that 2,760 people continue to receive assistance and that 227 members of the Armed Forces remain deployed in the recovery efforts. It was also reported that vital systems have been restored to 95% and that the water supply reaches 96%.
The report itself acknowledged that the lack of maintenance in the construction works has worsened the damage to homes and infrastructure, creating a high vulnerability to weather phenomena.
This admission contrasts with the triumphalist tone of the official interventions, which focused their discourse on "the strength of the system" and "the dedication of the masses."
Among the strengths mentioned by the Party, the "constant presence" of President Díaz-Canel in the affected areas was highlighted, as well as the deployment of national leaders to support the work of the defense councils.
In neighborhoods such as Guamá, Palma Soriano, Contramaestre, and Santiago de Cuba, the affected residents continue to live among rubble, makeshift roofs, and a shortage of construction materials.
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