Nearly a year after hurricane Ian hit Cuba, affected areas remain in ruins, with thousands homeless

From our Bureau of Socialist Crisis Management

Maybe this is what Papa Che means when he speaks of Cuba as a “symbol”?

Some symbol. In some areas of Pinar del Rio, the province hardest hit by hurricane Ian, 98 percent of the inhabitants remain homeless.

Loosely translated from Marti Noticias

Cubans affected by Hurricane Ian in the municipality of San Luis, in Pinar del Río, in mid-2022 remain without hope that their homes can be rebuilt or repaired, according to what they told Radio Martí.

Damisela Martínez, a resident of that town who lost part of the roof of her house, commented that she is not the only one in this situation.

“I lost part of my roof, but my sister, who has two children and a sick old man, is homeless and they haven’t given her anything until now,” the woman denounced.

Martínez told Radio Martí that the authorities allege that there are problems in the country.

“We are told that there are problems, the country does not give more, it cannot (…). Until now they have not solved anything for us, that is the reality of life, ”said Martínez.

The victims also do not have the possibility to buy materials independently in order to resolve the situation.

“I wish you could buy something ‘on the sly’, but nothing appears either. In the town? 98% (of the inhabitants) are homeless, without a doubt. I even lost contact with the delegate, who was the one who kept me more or less informed,” Martínez recalled.

“Many (residents) are housed in the workers’ social circle, others in the Corojo semi-boarding school; others have taken the zinc from the tobacco boxes and have repaired something. At first they did give us a few trinkets, but significant things? No, they did not give roofs or zinc, nothing like that, ”she asserted.