The recent passage of Hurricane Ian through western Cuba caused the total collapse of 38 homes in Havana, as well as partial damage and damage to the roofs of another 1,131 houses, the government of the capital reported Tuesday.
In the first total count of Ian’s ravages in Havana, the governor of the territory, Reynaldo García Zapata, also reported that 100% of the city’s electrical system was affected and 17,760 people were evacuated from danger zones in shelters. state and in family homes.
García Zapata indicated that the affected lines and circuits of the electricity service were 100% restored in the seven days until Tuesday, although 8 poles and 20 transformers are still pending replacement.
Housing and electricity received the greatest impact from Ian’s hurricane winds, which crossed the province of Pinar del Río, the westernmost province of the island, from south to north a week ago, where it caused great damage and extended its severe effects to its neighbors. Artemisa, Havana and Mayabeque.
This blow to the electrical system caused a general blackout throughout the country and aggravated the situation that for several months has generated daily power cuts throughout the country due to breakages and failures in the outdated thermoelectric plants, lack of fuel and scheduled maintenance.
The lack of power for several consecutive days has led to protests in several Havana neighborhoods in recent days, and also in the provinces of Camagüey (center) and the eastern Holguín and Guantánamo provinces.
The demonstrators banged on pots, blocked traffic avenues and sat down to demand “light” and, in some cases, shouted political demands. The independent media outlet Proyecto Inventario has registered 55 protests, most of them in Havana.
In addition, activists have reported 26 arrests -including at least one minor- and denounced that the security forces and plainclothes agents used violence against protesters.
The scourge of Hurricane Ian, the first to hit Cuba in the current cyclone season, left five dead and extensive material damage, until now only partially quantified.
This story was originally published on October 5, 2022 6:45 a.m.