Havana, August 8, 2022. - Cuba is receiving constant expressions of solidarity and support from governments, personalities, diverse organizations, embassies and foreign friends, as well as from Cubans living abroad, in view of the moments of pain and anguish it is suffering due to the large-scale fire at the Matanzas supertanker base last Friday.
In his Twitter account, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ratified his full willingness to provide the necessary help.
Also Luis Arce, president of Bolivia, affirmed that his government is closely following the unfortunate event caused by the impact of an electric shock on a crude oil tank at the supertanker base in Matanzas Bay.
Through this platform Sacha Llorenti, executive secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), wished a speedy recovery to the injured, while recognizing the efforts of those working to control the situation.
The Jamaican Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith expressed her solidarity with the accident that occurred in the Matanzas Industrial Zone, and also expressed that her prayers are with the injured, the families of the victims and the missing firefighters.
Also the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union, Josep Borrell, expressed solidarity with Cuba for the fire. Other figures in European politics expressed their support for Cuba through Twitter.
For her part, Maite Mola, vice president of the Party of the European Left, joined the messages of support for Cuba and recalled that the fire in Matanzas affects a people besieged by a criminal blockade.
Spanish MEP Manu Pineda expressed his support for the firefighters and health workers who face the consequences of the accident and described them as true heroes.
From Paris, the French association Cuba Linda expressed its sadness and concern over the fire caused by a lightning strike that hit the 52nd crude oil storage tank of the Matanzas Supertanker Base.
This organization in solidarity with the island pointed out that the disaster occurred at a critical moment for the energy sector of the Antillean nation, a scenario it attributed to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States for more than 60 years, a policy it described as criminal, according to Prensa Latina Agency.
Likewise, the European Union delegation in Cuba sent a message of solidarity to the Cuban people and government, due to the large-scale fire in the industrial zone of the city of Matanzas.
Other messages of support have come from the National Coordinator of Solidarity Peru, the Government and people of Belize, the Mexican Movement of Solidarity with Cuba, the Uruguayan Committee of Solidarity with Cuba and the Peoples of the World and the Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity-Uruguay Chapter. Also from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Diaspora Relations of Dominica, Honorable Dr. Kenneth Darroux, from the Liberia-Cuba Solidarity Group.
Likewise, the Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity-Uruguay Chapter, and the Committee of Solidarity with Cuba and the Peoples of the World of that country sent messages of solidarity to the Cuban people.
Miguel Díaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, expressed his deep gratitude to Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile, which promptly offered material solidarity aid in the face of this complex situation.
This Saturday, a mission of Venezuelan firefighters and oil technicians arrived in Cuba to support the work of extinguishing the fire in Matanzas.
In addition to the mission of 35 experts in highly complex operations, Venezuela sent 20 tons of foam and chemical powders to contain the flames.
Two aircraft arrived from that neighboring nation the day before with 62 military personnel and 16 technicians specialized in the area of oil and chemical supplies to confront the fire that started on Friday night due to an electrical discharge during a storm.
He also thanked the U.S. organizations and individuals for their expressions of support and for the government's offer of technical assistance in the fight against the fire in the city of Matanzas.
Authorities of the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) received on Sunday a donation from the Republic of Ghana for medical attention to the victims of the fire at the Supertanker Base in the city of Matanzas.
The aid consists of 23 boxes of medicines, gloves, syringes and other medical supplies for the 'Faustino Pérez' hospital in that city.
(Embacuba Seychelles)