When a Cuban citizen cries, we all cry…and we lend our hands

An interviewee stated Tuesday morning on Cuban Television that “whenever a Cuban citizen cries, we all cry.” The events happening since last Friday in Matanzas, Cuba, confirm so.

Paired with our tears, we can also witness courage and the determination to help in every possible way.

Hashtag #FuerzaMatanzas is trending topic in Twitter and surpassed 193 thousand tweets while writing this text, and I am not only referring to people in our country.

A lot of expressions of support and tangible sign of solidarity are seen these days from all over the world: from personal help to major contributions from friendly governments.

People worshipping different religions pray for Cuba as well.

Among the most touching aids, we find those from common citizens in Cuba, who multiply their solidarity in social networks following the idea that we Cubans share what we have, not what we have left over.

We can read posts like this one in Facebook:

“His name is Ariel and he drives for free all health personnel to the hospital as well as relatives of injured individuals. Today, at the gas station, a young man paid his gas. He has thousands of stories to tell. In every trip, he helps all those exhausted doctors after a very challenging day. Every man there is a brother or sister to him. #FuerzaMatanzas”

You can also see this announcement:

“Urgent Matanzas. Our pizza restaurant offers the most socially disadvantaged families in Matanzas and those people who are admitted to the Faustino Perez Hospital free pizzas for them and their children. Please, if you know someone in this situation admitted in the hospital, put me in touch with them or their families.”

Regardless of the help provided by many entities and institutions, the government and the Party, this Cuban added that “I would like to do my bite from the bottom of my heart and selflessly to those people who really need it. Write me privately please and don't be sorry. Do not thank me please, thank those heroes who are risking and sacrificing their own lives in that hell.”

In turn, Santiago’s native Ricardo Zacarías posted:

“I offer my truck to transport any humanitarian aid to the province of Matanzas. MATANZAS STRONG.”

We can also find in this social network the story of three firefighters who took a few minutes break to rest from the fury of flames.

They managed to save their own lives when the second-tank big explosions took place and they were having a coffee in a small private cafeteria.

And when they went to pay, the clerk refused to charge them: "you can be my children, and you are very brave."

Much remains to be written about this challenging episode that is devastating Cuba today and when, once again, what the President of the Republic announced today via Twitter is ratified: "Unity, solidarity, firmness, and gratitude, strengths of the Cuban soul, mark these difficult hours…”

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff