Cuban Red Cross Branch in Santiago Struggles Without Phone Service for Over 10 Months

The provincial headquarters of the Cuban Red Cross in Santiago de Cuba has been operating without telephone service for more than a decade, as reported on Facebook by Aris Arias Batalla, a member of the organization.

Arias Batalla highlighted that the communication breakdown at the headquarters on Carretera del Morro, between streets A and B, number 268, in the Vista Hermosa neighborhood, began well before Hurricane Melissa struck in October 2025. This suggests the issue emerged around mid-2025, if not earlier.

"Our provincial headquarters has been completely cut off from telephone lines for over 10 months, long before Hurricane Melissa hit," wrote Arias Batalla. He explained that the center's management has made numerous efforts, including reports, visits to ETECSA, and other attempts, all to no avail.

Adding to the lack of phone communication is a power outage lasting more than 10 days, recorded under report number 16457, which also remains unresolved at the time of the post.

The irony in the complaint is that the branch remains active: "Right now, hundreds of Red Cross volunteers are there providing humanitarian aid sent by the International Red Cross to families affected by the devastating Hurricane Melissa," and they are also conducting training in neighborhoods, communities, and organizations.

Arias Batalla directly criticized the inaction of officials with decision-making power, whom he referred to as "bosses with a capital 'G'"—a Cuban colloquial term for high-ranking executives—and criticized them for "downplaying" the work of the institution.

"Our global mission is to save lives and alleviate human suffering, so who is responsible for saving and alleviating ours?" he questioned in his post.

The telecommunications context in Santiago de Cuba is one of accumulated crisis. After Hurricane Melissa, the city was left with only 3% of its telecommunications services operational due to severe damage to fiber optics in municipalities like Guamá, Segundo Frente, and Tercer Frente.

Compounding the situation are chronic power outages: ETECSA has acknowledged that its infrastructure can't operate for more than 24 hours without electricity, and the blackouts—which exceed 16 hours daily in various provinces—disable around 47.5% of mobile radio bases and 56.5% of telecommunications cabinets.

Santiago has also witnessed thefts of solar panels and acts of sabotage against radio bases, cutting off the energy backup for key network nodes, according to reports of attacks on ETECSA infrastructure in the province.

Despite these challenges, the Cuban Red Cross—boasting over 35,000 active volunteers—played a pivotal role in the response to Hurricane Melissa. They rescued more than 500 individuals and distributed 20 tons of humanitarian aid from the International Federation of the Red Cross, valued at $18 million, among 1,500 people affected in Santiago de Cuba, Granma, and Holguín.

Arias Batalla concluded his statement with a warning: "We will continue to handle our issues internally despite the existing deficits and the bosses with 'G' who have yet to show empathy towards us."