The situation exposes the level of desperation and vulnerability to which the Cuban people were exposed after the passage of Cyclone Melissa.
LIMA, Peru – The Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) in Cuba spoke this Saturday regarding fake news that circulated on digital platforms and caused many Cubans to flock to hotels on the Island in the hope of receiving donations after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Several publications on social networks have warned since this morning of the crowding of people in several hotels, including the Habana Libre in the capital, a situation that exposes the level of desperation and vulnerability to which the town was exposed after the passage of the cyclone.
“The latest hoax on social media is the delivery of money in hotels. Today I was surprised to see more people than usual around Habana Libre waiting for the promised ‘gift'” wrote on Facebook the journalist of the dictatorship Lázaro Manuel Alonso.
The Castro spokesman denounced the use of social networks to misinform and lie, a common practice within the official media he serves. At the same time, he acknowledged that the fact is especially worrying amid “the daily shortcomings” that exist on the Island.
Faced with the emerging scene of chaos and misinformation, MINTUR was forced to intervene with a statement, ensuring that the information was false. The rumor, spread mainly by Spanish citizen Ignacio Gimenez, pointed to the delivery of about $1,100 per affected person.
“We urge citizens and the media not to spread false information that could cause confusion,” the note indicates.
The institution clarified that it is not the competent body to manage or report on the donations received due to the meteorological phenomenon, indicating that “the official information on the donations that are delivered are communicated through the channels authorized by the competent institutions, which in this case is not the Ministry of Tourism.”
Millions of dollars in aid for the regime
The United Nations WFP warned that around 700,000 people in Cuba, more than 7% of the population, require urgent humanitarian assistance following the devastating passing of Hurricane Melissa. The agency noted that the cyclone left serious damage to homes, crops and basic supply networks.
Although official figures have not yet been detailed, international aid amounts to millions of dollars. The UN allocated four million from the Central Emergency Fund, while UNICEF prepares to send medical supplies for about $500,000. China will also provide 1,000 family kits, valued at around $300,000.
Colombia offered to ship the ARC Victoria ship, with 240 tons of food, fuel and water, and Panama — together with PAHO — donated 2.6 tons of health supplies. Venezuela reported the delivery of between 26 and 46 tons of materials valued at nearly $600,000. Canada announced a contribution of several million.
Germany and Norway contributed $330,000 and $400,000, respectively, while the London-based Cuba Solidarity campaign gave $64,000.
The European Union approved a package of 21.5 million euros for the Caribbean. Of these, five million will go specifically to affected areas in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba.
Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) delivered another shipment of 20 tons of humanitarian aid to Santiago de Cuba, from the logistics center that the organization maintains in Panama. The assistance – cooking, rest and hygiene kits, tools, tarps, solar lamps and mosquito nets – is intended for around 1,500 people.
Added to these efforts is aid from India and the announcement of three million dollars in US aid, which will reach the victims through the Cuban Catholic Church.
