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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://resumen-english.org/2022/08/fire-in-matanzas-the-real-story-beyond-the-smoke-and-fire/">resumen-english.org</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Fire in Matanzas: The Real Story Beyond the Smoke and Fire</h1>
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<p>By Gustavo A Maranges on August 9, 2022 from Cardenas</p>
<div id="gmail-attachment_21091" class="gmail-wp-caption"><p><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-21091" src="https://i0.wp.com/resumen-english.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/8-10-img-ricardo-lopez-hevia.jpg?resize=300%2C212&ssl=1" alt="" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" width="300" height="212"></p><p id="gmail-caption-attachment-21091" class="gmail-wp-caption-text"><font size="1">photo: Ricardo Lopez Hevia – Granma</font></p></div>
<p>Today, after several days, I checked what the mainstream media has
reported on the accident at Matanzas supertanker base. I was not
surprised at all by what I found. I say this because many of us are used
to reading articles driven by sensationalism and not by any credible
principles of journalism when reporting on Cuba.<span id="gmail-more-21089"></span></p>
<p>This has been a tragic accident with incalculable consequences for
Cubans. Meanwhile, for the foreign public, it has been reduced to
spectacular photos showing huge flames accompanied by a column of black
smoke that overshadows two of the country’s main cities.</p>
<p>Like in a Roman circus, the agencies are focusing on the combat
between two very unequal gladiators, the firefighters and the
all-consuming fire, as if suggesting in advance who will win. Once
again, they decided to tell grief and catastrophe stories to sell the
news, while sacrificing the best thing: the stories of courage of those
who have been working now for 4 days in a row.</p>
<p>For many foreign people, the hashtag #FuerzaMatanzas will be
remembered with the images of a terrible accident that claimed the lives
of several people and a strategic facility for the economy of a small
Caribbean island. However, the story is quite different for those who
live in Cuba, especially the people of Matanzas.</p>
<p>For us, it is much more than an accident. Watching 4 tanks endlessly
burning has brought tears to the eyes of thousands, but it has also made
the hearts of many, like mine, swell with pride. Witnessing
firefighters’ tireless efforts to defeat a much stronger opponent, their
frustrations, their joys, and their suffering because of 14 missing
colleagues makes me reflect on the human and professional quality of
those people I knew little or nothing about before.</p>
<p>Firefighters and rescuers are today the human face of this tragedy,
but there is more. Behind them, there are hundreds of people
guaranteeing health services, food, and technical maintenance and there
are millions of Cubans inside and outside the island willing to help
those in need in any possible way. The support being revealed during
this difficult time comes from the very base of Cuban society that is
rooted in the Revolution.</p>
<p>It is moving to see how people and institutions from nearby provinces
have done everything they can to soothe the situation of the people of
Matanzas. They have provided food and medicines, while some of them have
lost their lives, as in the case of the young fireman from Cienfuegos,
who has been identified as the first victim of the accident.</p>
<p>In Matanzas, every single person is consumed with what happening and
is aware of whether a tank is safe or the next one is burning. They are
all worried about providing gauze, medicine, or just a modest cup of
coffee for the ambulance driver who has not been home for two days. For
Cubans the concept of family grows in times like these; it grows to the
unimaginable, and suddenly names and faces not known before begin to
feel closer.</p>
<p>Amid the collective suffering, it is a relief to know that in a
single day, over 600 blood donations were made in Cardenas (40 km from
the site) alone to contribute to the treatment of the injured. Today,
Casa de las Americas (House of the Américas) famous slogan “Mi
casa es tu casa” (My house is your house) takes on new meaning as
several hostels have offered their rooms to accommodate health workers
and logistics personnel who traveled to the city to help. Something
similar is happening with private restaurants such as La Campiña and
some private bakeries which have offered food for those who work
tirelessly to mitigate the consequences of the fire.</p>
<p>Havana watched with astonishment the smog crossing its sky since dawn
of the first day. There, people have organized spontaneously to send
everything possible. They even made a list of priorities so as to not
duplicate efforts. Many of these donations are collected by institutions
and, in some cases, are taken to Matanzas by people using their own
means.</p>
<p>Beholding these gestures of such humanity, we can only rejoice that
amid adversity, Cubans still have that immense love for our neighbors
and the willingness to do good, something that definitely has
characterized us throughout our history.</p>
<p>Support has come from everywhere. Cubans abroad and friends have
collected medical supplies, money, and food to donate. In the US
initiatives of Puentes de Amor The People’s Forum, Pastors for Peace,
and CodePink, just to mention a few, go beyond the material aspect. They
remind us that we have never been alone and that the United States is
much more than a handful of politicians and individuals hell-bent on
bringing more suffering to the Cuban people. Our heartfelt thanks to
those who have made the difference and may have at least expressed to us
their solidarity.</p>
<p>There have been many support statements from all over the world, both
from personalities and governments. But special mention should be made
of Venezuelans and Mexicans who sent material aid in planes and ships
before it was even asked for. Given the magnitude of the challenge, both
countries gave more than pieces of advice and put their people’s bodies
to join forces and experience and end the fire. Once again, history has
brought us together to write pages of humanism worthy of being recorded
in books. Others such as Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and Russia have
sent resources.</p>
<p>This is the real story of the tragic accident in Matanzas. It is the
story of impetus facing pain, of smiles and tears, of mistakes and
successes. This is a story of solidarity, unity, and love, something
that Cubans have plenty of, but today, it was our turn to receive.</p>
<p>The story behind #FuerzaMatanzas is the human one and not that of the
flames, which came to take away what we built with so much effort. That
is the story that will survive in Cuba because we suffered it, we lived
through it, because it affected us tremendously, and despite it, we
faced the challenge.</p>
<p>After watching how Cubans have responded to this accident, I have no
doubt that everything will be done in the shortest possible time. By
then, there will be more broken hearts but also heroic stories that
reminded us that we are also the land of the brave.</p>
<p>Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – US</p>
<p>To make donations in the US for Matanzas relief visit:</p>
<p>Pastors for Peace; <a href="https://ifconews.org/donate/">https://ifconews.org/donate/</a></p>
<p>Global Health Partners; <a href="https://ghpartners.org/cuba2022/">https://ghpartners.org/cuba2022/</a></p>
<p>The Hatuey Project; <a href="https://www.hatueyproject.org/donate/">https://www.hatueyproject.org/donate/</a></p>
<p>Code Pink; <a href="https://www.codepink.org/cubafirerelief">https://www.codepink.org/cubafirerelief</a></p>
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