Havana Cuba. – Six deaths, thousands of victims and material losses still to be quantified left the recent rains and floods in eastern Cuba. while, the Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel was noticed on Twitter but not in person in the most affected provinces: Granma, Camagüey and Las Tunas. His absence in the East of the Island contrasted with his regular trips to sunny Santa Clara to meet with his constituents when he was supposedly a candidate for deputy, in March and April of this year; and with his trip to Pinar del Río after the devastation caused by Cyclone Ian.
Neither did Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa and the demanding second secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), Roberto Morales Ojeda, appear in those parts. Díaz-Canel promised that the Government would keep checking the situation permanently. “We are also going to recover from this unfortunate situation,” he assured.
Manuel Marrero Cruz, for his part, is on tour in Russia, from where he does not return until next weekend.
On June 12, Díaz-Canel held a video conference with the provincial authorities of the East to know and analyze the situation generated by the intense rains. By this means, he reiterated that no one would be left helpless, that the Government had to prioritize the repair of roads, railways and homes; as well as repair damage to agriculture and short-cycle crops.
In substitution of the maximum leaders, the Government sent to the East a commission of work integrated by vice-presidents and ministers, and groups headed by members of the PCC. They directed the actions accompanied by the first secretaries, governors, deputy governors and mayors on their tours of those provinces. Félix Duarte and Yoel Queipo, heads of the Agricultural and Economic Department of the Central Committee of the PCC, respectively, were widely mentioned, who repeated that the “president” was aware by phone.
The strange absence of Díaz-Canel in the Oriente could be due to difficulties with his planes and helicopters, lack of sufficient fuel and other means to preserve his security. In any case, he is avoiding committing to guarantee the acquisition of food, clothing, footwear, household appliances and materials for the reconstruction of homes.
The Government had opportunely transferred the responsibilities to the local level, so that the mayor, the delegates and the recently elected deputies must accompany the collection of leaves of guano and mud to build and roof the new houses with dirt floors.
Díaz-Canel has probably privileged his international commitments. The month began with the culmination of the negotiations for the third cycle of the Peace Dialogue between the Government of Colombia and the ELN guerrillas, on June 9. Of great importance for the Cuban authorities will be the first visit to the Island of the President of Iran, Ebrahim Raision Wednesday June 14.
Immediately, the Cuban ruler will leave for Italy, where he will meet with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and will pay a courtesy visit to the ailing Pope Francis on June 20. From there he will travel to France to attend the New Finance Pact sponsored by President Emmanuel Macron. The talks with the French dignitary will be very important, given the tense relationship between the island’s regime and countries of the European Union due to their support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this sense, Díaz-Canel will also try to meet with the attending leaders to gather understanding and support for his position. Simultaneously, he will promote the sale of Biocubafarma medical personnel, vaccines and other medicines.
Meanwhile, millions of Cubans will be left behind, each day more deprived of everything, with no hope that the Government will provide a very poor plate of food and loosen the moorings to be able to seek a life through their own efforts, in freedom.
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