FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Canadian Network on Cuba – Working in Friendship & Solidarity with
Cuba
www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca
Email: cncexec@canadiannetworkoncuba.ca
CANADA SO FAR
SILENT, WHILE OTHERS QUICK TO PROVIDE AID TO CUBA AFTER MATANZAS FUEL SUPERTANK
DISASTER
Canadians support Cuba – Where is our Canadian Government?
[Toronto, ON –
August 11th, 2022] – While countries such as Mexico and Venezuela
were coming to Cuba’s aid in overcoming the unprecedented disastrous fire at
the Matanzas oil storage facility, the Canadian government has been nowhere to
be seen or heard in offering a helping hand, to a nation that has been providing
humanitarian assistance across the globe for decades, despite facing its own ongoing
hardships due to US economic sanctions.
Mexico sent 16
flights with over 45,000 litres of foam and other equipment for fighting the
oil-fueled inferno, and Mexico and Venezuela combined sent over 100
reinforcements to battle alongside local firefighters. The UK, Russia, China,
Argentina, and Jamaica have since also sent material aid to Cuba over the last
five days. The United States cynically sat back and asked Havana to call them for
“technical advice”, and sadly, even that is more than what Canada has
done or offered so far.
The fire at the port
city of Matanzas’ oil storage facility started last Friday evening, when
lightning struck a rod on one of the storage tanks, with the charge being too
powerful for it to absorb, igniting a massive explosion and subsequent raging
fire that quickly spread to neighbouring storage tanks. As of today, there is 1
person deceased, 17 people “missing”, and at least 121 injured by burns and
smoke inhalation.
Cubans face
severe economic hardship due to sanctions by the United States which have only
been tightened in recent years. Sanctions make it extremely cumbersome and
expensive to do trade with other countries, and for Cubans to obtain basic
necessities. They have also led to Cuba being forced to ration energy use and
endure electricity blackouts. This will all be made significantly worse by this
catastrophe.
Canadians have a
special relationship with Cuba, being fortunate enough to be able to travel
there and learn about the rich culture, make lifelong friends and connections,
and witness an example of a country that does so much for its people with so
little. Cuba reinvests its modest GDP into its universal public health care,
education, other social services, and research and development, particularly in
its biotechnology sector, which has benefitted many nations especially during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the worst fire in Cuba’s history,
that has destroyed over 40% of the island’s main fuel storage facility, which
generates electricity on the island, and the Canadian government has not so
much as even offered condolences yet. Should we not have been one of the first
to reach out and offer help to our Cuban neighbours?
If you would like more information about
this, please contact Samantha Hislop, Co-Chair of Canadian Network on Cuba, at 647-628-0203,
or email hislopsamantha@gmail.com
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