U.S. faces mounting pressure to do more to help Cuba fight a deadly blaze at an oil facility
At least one senior Cuban government official has expressed frustration over the lack of U.S. support as the country fights a deadly and toxic fire.
At least one senior Cuban government official has expressed frustration over the lack of support offered by the United States to help extinguish a deadly fire that began Friday at a large oil storage facility in Matanzas, causing several explosions and sending a toxic cloud of smoke that has spread more than 65 miles.
One firefighter died due to an explosion at a second tank Saturday and, according to government reports, 14 firefighters are missing. Around 125 people have been injured.
The U.S. has offered Cuba technical assistance over the phone but no material support.
Fourth tanker catches fire at oil storage facility, jeopardizes Cuba's electrical systemAug. 9, 202201:47"So far US offered a phone number to an emergency local authority. We accepted, Cupet [Cuba's state-run oil company] made the phone call, had a good talk and the president @DiazCanelB & deputy minister @CarlosFdeCossio thanks technical advise. The rest is old same US abyss saying/acting," Johana Tablada, the deputy director for U.S. affairs at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
While Cuban officials have expressed gratitude for the technical advice on social media, they have also consistently pointed out that it's all that they have received from Washington.
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