SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- The Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba, Inés María Chapman, explained the reasons why unprecedented flooding occurred in the San Antonio del Sur municipality during the passage of Hurricane Oscar through Guantánamo.
In his reference to the causes of catastrophe and without explaining the null protection actions of the Civil Defense, Champan justified that the event occurred “practically at dawn,” as recorded in his statements to the communication team of the Presidency of Cuba.
“The hurricane was stationed for more than 24 hours in this area between Imías and San Antonio el Sur. It is a low place, surrounded by mountains and the runoff from the mountains also contributes to the volume of water, plus the rain that fell, which produced the growth of the river and was more than 500 millimeters in a short time,” said the official on the stage. in that area where dozens of people are still missing.
| The deputy prime minister, @InesMChapmanwho has the mission of accompanying the Government to the authorities of #Guantanamoexplains the causes of what happened in San Antonio del Sur.
We share their statements with you.#GuantanamoForce pic.twitter.com/U70H2Li4w4
— Presidency Cuba (@PresidenciaCuba) October 24, 2024
It was an event that “had never happened,” he said, adding that they had recorded less than 300 milliliters of rain but now they reached almost 600.
In his appearance, Chapman insisted that it was practically at dawn: “That volume of water grew, the river also grew. Let us remember that the sea water rises in level at night, in the early morning.”
As the level rose, a “cushion or plug” was formed and the river began to pool (“it goes behind the river”). Consequently, the water spread towards the lowest place, San Antonio.
“That’s why he broke bridges. Remember that the rivers of Cuba all go to the sea,” he concluded.
The absence of a prevention protocol by the Civil Defense has been pointed out by the Cubans who suffered on site the impact of the meteorological phenomenon or that they are searching for their relatives, missing since last October 20, when Oscar made landfall.
In the provincial capital, the winds were felt and it rained a lot, but the worst scenario was in Baracoa, Imías and San Antonio del Sur, where the hurricane, later a tropical storm, remained “almost stationary”.
In San Antonio del Sur, where there was an unprecedented flood, so far there were six deadamong them a five-year-old girl and three elderly people who were over 80 years old.
A Cuban resident in that municipality, complained to the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel that he was in charge of 29 children in the Special School during the passing of Oscar in their area and no one came to rescue them, as revealed in a video published by the media Martí News.
During a tour of Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, accompanied by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman, in that area, shocked Because of the floods, a Cuban told the president that the regime abandoned them.
“They left us alone there, 29 children. I had to evacuate the children, we almost couldn’t,” said the man from Guantanamo from one of the areas affected by Oscar.
