Havana/“Can I speak?” Inés María Chapman, deputy prime minister of Cuba, insisted insistently before a group of Cubans who were venting their hardships under an almond tree. The government visit to the Gutiérrez neighborhood, in Manzanillo, province of Granma, occurred on September 24, but the video of the meeting has just seen the light on the YouTube channel of Independent and Democratic Cuba.
“In the News they said, very nice, that she had left here satisfied with the job. But here it is getting worse and worse,” said a retiree from the area, alluding to the visit that the official made in March of this year. On that date, Chapman praised the construction status of the Cayo Redondo pumping station, which received a civil and hydraulic transformation, at a cost of five million pesos. However, the population complaint that the replacement of the iron pipes with a plastic network was “a scam and a technical disaster”, since from its installation leaks, breaks and holes began throughout the city.
The retired manzanillera added that, with her husband having spinal surgery and living alone, both are obliged to pay for drinking water at the price in the informal market, in a Popular Council where she has not seen any leader really care about local problems. And he added: “After she came, the situation worsened. It’s like a bomb of misfortune.”
The vice prime minister promised to “raise the visions of what is happening” and “analyze” a couple of proposals
In the midst of the complaints and murmurs, another neighbor addressed the Popular Council delegate. “You are the president of this Council? Well, this is the first time I have seen you,” she denounced. The official defended herself by claiming: “They don’t know me because they don’t go to the meetings.” And the neighbor, with the anger that fatigue usually unleashes, replied: “But what meetings, if there has not even been an accountability here!”
Other residents shared the same opinion about these officials or “community factors”, which only appear when these visits from the central government take place, although they did not show much enthusiasm towards the vice president either.
The television news was limited at the time to mention the step of the senior official, accompanied by Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez, president of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources. The official review attributed the effects to the “electro-energy situation facing the country.” Chapman proposed “giving priority to the circuit that supplies the pumping system, reinforcing distribution through pipes and undertaking a maintenance program for defective equipment.” However, not a word was mentioned in the report about the opinions of the Manzanilleros.
The problems with the water supply in Manzanillo are old
“Can I speak?” the deputy prime minister kept repeating this September to the excited neighbors, promising to “raise the views of what is happening” and “analyze” a couple of proposals. One of those present, already tired of throwing his complaints on deaf ears, denounced the more than 30 hours of blackout they have suffered in the area. “Everything they say is a lie,” he said tiredly, while the officials present called for respect and calm. “I’m leaving,” the man concluded, turning his back.
The vice president promised to return to the same place, “under the same almond bush,” when the investment works are completed. But the Manzanilleros, remembering the man who had retired, continued to murmur: “He is right.”
The problems with the water supply in Manzanillo are old. In April of last year, residents in the city barely They had supply every 30 daysaccording to complaints collected by this newspaper. The situation has barely improved in this time, not only due to blackouts and broken pumping equipment but also due to the drought.
At the beginning of August, the 11 reservoirs in the province were, on average, 46% full. The Cautillo dam, in the municipality of Jiguaní, had the lowest level with just 2%, after being dewatered for repairs. They were followed by Corojo (Guisa) at 36%, Cilantro (Pilón) at 41% and Pedregales (Bayamo) with 44%. Meanwhile, the reservoirs that supply the main municipality were barely around 17.8% full.
