Heavy machinery removing debris from a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Melissa, in the municipality of Guamá, Santiago de Cuba province, Cuba. Photo: Facebook/Ministry of Transport of Cuba.
Venezuela continues to provide support and assistance to Cuba through the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), in its recovery from the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. On Monday, November 10, a high-level delegation and a team of specialists from Venezuela arrived in Cuba to work on restoring the road infrastructure in Santiago de Cuba, one of the provinces hardest hit by the high-intensity cyclone.
The binational team, headed by Venezuelan Deputy Minister of Public Works Domiciano Graterol and Governor Manuel Falcón Hernández of Santiago de Cuba, completed two days of evaluation in the affected municipalities.
Specialists confirmed that the principal damages to the roads occurred in the province’s southern coast. The municipality of Guamá, west of the city of Santiago de Cuba, was the hardest hit, with the eye of the cyclone passing through it, resulting in a high number of damaged infrastructures.
During the inspection, the team determined that the infrastructure of the Los Reynaldos bridge in Songo-La Maya (northeast of Santiago) requires complete reconstruction. Similarly, to address the damage to internal roads and rural routes in difficult terrain, the immediate deployment of heavy machinery will be required to ensure access to communities such as Dos Palmas in Palma Soriano (northwest of the province).
The Venezuelan brigade comprises civil engineers, bridge and road experts, and a group of electrical sector workers, whose experience is essential to restoring basic services. This technical mission reaffirms the strategic and fraternal nature of the bilateral relations between Venezuela and Cuba.
Venezuela Sends 5,000 Tons of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba After Hurricane Melissa
In this same vein of support, on the morning of Tuesday, November 11, the Venezuelan ship Manuel Gual arrived at the Guillermón Moncada port of Santiago de Cuba with 5,000 tons of humanitarian aid destined for the most affected areas.
The vessel transported 102 containers of essential supplies, including food, medicine, drinking water, basic household items, and electrical equipment, demonstrating a shared commitment to addressing the challenges.
Previously, Venezuela sent a shipment of 2,531 tons of humanitarian aid. The Cuban ambassador to Venezuela, Jorge Luis Mayo, underscored the depth of the historical ties and the unwavering solidarity between the two countries. Mayo emphasized that, despite the US-imposed blockade and unilateral coercive measures against Venezuela, what prevails among the Venezuelan people is a genuine “affection, solidarity, and love for the Cuban people.”
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
