The Guiteras thermoelectric plant up and running
The long awaited news has arrived: shortly after 3pm on September 27, and after more than two weeks of intense repair work, the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant was reconnected to the national electricity grid
Author: Ventura de Jesús García Gutiérrez | ventura@granma.cu
september 28, 2017 14:09:06

The long awaited news has arrived: shortly after 3pm on September 27, and after more than two weeks of intense repair works, the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant was reconnected to the national electricity grid.
Of course, the news was welcomed by workers and directors of the plant who have been working round the clock to get the facility back up and running following damage caused by Hurricane Irma. We are very, very happy, we have fulfilled the heroic task we were assigned, stated Alejandro Ventosa, a founding member of the plant’s workforce and decorated Labor Hero of the Republic of Cuba.
Meanwhile, Rubén Campos Olmo, director general of the facility praised the work of all who made this first phase of recovery efforts possible, with repairs completed to generator no. two, supplying 200 megawatts. He also went on to note that the other generator should be fixed in about six days, which should see the power supply to citizens stabilize. Everyone hopes that this stage will be as successful as the previous one, he noted.
In this regard, Campos Olmo stated that workers are currently cleaning all of the pipelines, channels and other spaces filled with debris, 14,000 cubic meters of which has been removed thus far. He also highlighted the importance of fitting temporary coverings to protect generators and other equipment from seawater damage.
Opened in March 1988, the Antonio Guiteras is one of the country’s main and most consistent suppliers of power to the national grid.

Cuba will be ready for tourist high season without a trace of Hurricane Irma
Cuba’s Tourism minister noted that the main damage in this sector was limited to light roofing, false ceilings, broken windows, and green areas

Author: Juan Diego Nusa Peñalver | internet@granma.cu
september 27, 2017 12:09:57

Varadero’s Hotel Meliá Las Américas is open and offering services to tourists.

We reiterate our commitment that all Cuban tourism facilities will be operational in time for the upcoming high season, Minister of Tourism Manuel Marrero Cruz stressed during a meeting with some 160 tour operators September 23, in Varadero’s Plaza América Convention Center, to address the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
The minister explained that the necessary financial and material resources, equipment, and personnel are available for this purpose.
Marrero insisted that our “commitment to you is not limited to recovering from the effects of the hurricane, but that everything will be better than before and that we will have as a final result an updated and higher quality tourist product.”

Verónica Orellana Rodríguez and José Antonio Triviño Bermúdez, from Cádiz, Spain, are spending their honeymoon in Varadero’s Ocean Vista Azul hotel.
He noted that he was speaking with authority, having toured “all the tourist sites along the north coast of the country, and several of them on more than one occasion… Cuban tourism will be operational and restored for this high season.”
The official stressed that power, water, and communications were restored in 100% of the country’s tourist resorts, including the northern Santa María, Coco and Guillermo keys.
He also offered a broad analysis of the effects caused by the adverse weather phenomenon on the local leisure industry, and described these to be generally minimal.

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Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, speaking in the UN this Monday, September 18, noted that the island is advancing in its recovery following the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma, and will not abandon any of those people affected to their own fate
Author: International news staff | internet@granma.cu
september 19, 2017 10:09:32

Photo: Eduardo Palomares
UNITED NATIONS.–Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, speaking in the UN this Monday, September 18, noted that the island is advancing in its recovery following the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma, and will not abandon any of those people affected to their own fate.
“The fruits of years of intense work by our people were erased by Irma in just a few hours. But the hurricane did not break Cubans’ spirit of resistance,” Rodríguez stressed in a UN General Assembly High-LevelEventon HurricaneIrma, to address the consequences in the Caribbean region and recovery efforts.
Rodríguez recalled the recent words of President Raúl Castro, who referring to the damages caused by Irma emphasized that the Cuban people are “regenerated with every adversity.”
“As it has always been throughout the Cuban Revolution, all necessary resources will be used to ensure that no one is left defenseless,” he added.
The diplomat took the opportunity “to thank the numerous demonstrations of solidarity and offers of assistance received from numerous governments, parliaments, international organizations and civil society.”

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Raúl praises the hard work across the country following Hurricane Irma
The President of the National Defense Council led a meeting to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Irma and the actions to be taken during the recovery phase

Author: Leticia Martínez Hernández | internet@granma.cu
september 15, 2017 10:09:13

Photo: Estudio Revolución
The President of the National Defense Council, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, led a meeting with Party, state and government leaders on Wednesday, September 13, during which the damages caused by Hurricane Irma were evaluated, and the actions to be undertaken during the recovery phase outlined.

Raúl recognized the hard work in each of the areas affected by the devastating meteorological event, which struck virtually the entire island. He noted that if any benefit can be obtained from this difficult situation, it is to immediately collect experiences to better prepare for future events of this nature.

The President warned that the present hurricane season, which has been described as intense, extends until November 30, an evident product of climate change and to which we must adapt.

The Army General called to continue working tirelessly to calmly resolve problems and to keep the people informed by all possible means on the situation facing the country.

During the meeting it was highlighted that given Irma’s path across several provinces, authorities were forced to evacuate to 1,738,000 people, of them 86% were sheltered in the homes of neighbors and relatives. The head of the National Civil Defense General Staff, Major General Ramón Pardo Guerra, reported that more than 26,000 people remain in evacuation centers.

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