Statements of support for the island continue

Statements of support for the island continue

In the first 72 hours after the Matanzas Supertanker Base fire broke out, 22 donations from different countries were registered, mainly medical supplies, equipment to deal with the incident and food.

To date, the Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport in Varadero has operated a total of 20 solidarity flights; 16 of them came from Mexico and four from Venezuela, who sent 120 experts in various fields (firefighters, health workers, oil technicians and additional necessary material transported), a cable from Prensa Latina details.

The people of Matanzas witnessed the arrival of the Bourbon Artabaze firefighting ship with a Mexican flag, built 12 years ago and with a lot of experience in suppressing major events. Almost in unison, a sixth plane with four tons of fire-retardant foam, also from Mexico, arrived at the airfield.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said in his morning press conference that the experts had sent work with Petróleos Mexicanos and with the Minister of Defense, according to La Jornada. With them came four military helicopters with tanks for 2,500 liters of water, a fifth is being prepared if necessary.

From the moment the disaster was declared, messages from all over the world kept pouring in to accompany, express condolences and offer help.

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) said on Twitter that “it sends its full support to the people and government of Cuba for the tragedy that occurred due to the fire of fuel tanks in the province of Matanzas”. In the message, he expressed his solidarity with the victims’ families and the hospital staff.

The Red Cross Society of China donated the equivalent of $150,000 to its counterpart in Cuba. This facility stated on its website that it was a humanitarian aid and would provide support in the event of a fire emergency.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told PL that both countries are good friends and brothers.

On behalf of the Asian giant, the Chinese People’s Friendship Association with Foreign Countries expressed its solidarity and assured that they hope that the fraternal Cuban people will soon overcome the difficulties and carry out the reconstruction after the accident.

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) pointed out in a statement released by Cubaminrex that “the extensive damage to infrastructure and environment is also of concern to the community and like the solid brotherhood that our brother country has shown with Caricom, the community stands in solidarity with Cuba in its quest to limit the damage of this catastrophe and offers our help to our old friend and partner to overcome this setback.

The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, joined the condolences.

Messages of solidarity were received from the Communist Parties of Portugal, Spain and Benin, the Swedish-Cuban Association, the Broad Front Youth of Costa Rica, the Timor-Leste-Cuba Friendship Association, the Serbian-Cuban Friendship Association, the Albanian Friendship Association – Cuba, the Parliamentary Friendship League Peru -Cuba and by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

A gathering was also held in the Plazuela de San Pedro in Peru in solidarity with Cuba, which supported this nation during the Huaraz and Pisco earthquakes.

British firefighters supported their Cuban counterparts: “In this short letter we send you our warmest greetings and express our admiration and solidarity with all Cuban firefighters and the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba,” reads the letter signed by the Under-Secretary-General United Kingdom Fire Brigades Union, Andy Dark, cited by PL.

Another report said that the Association of Cuban Residents in Angola called for a day of solidarity and help for their country. Widespread on social networks, the message is addressed to compatriots and all Angolan friends of the Caribbean nation. “These are hours of pain, our island is wounded.”