May 9, 2022

Dear Members of the CNC and friends of Cuba,

You will already know from widespread news reports and from the Cuban government that Cuba suffered a new and devastating blow in the form of an explosion in Old Havana on May 6, 2022. The explosion caused fatalities and injuries to a large number of Cubans as well as severe damage to what was being prepared as the beautiful heart of a revived tourist industry in Old Havana.

Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel was promptly at the scene of the disaster. His office gave out the sad information that the powerful explosion was found by preliminary investigation to be a tragic accident due to a natural gas leak. The death toll, as of Friday afternoon, was 26 people, including a pregnant woman and one child. As of Monday, May 9, the toll has risen to 31 people including several children, with about 80 injured and 46 admitted to hospital. Fortunately, there were no guests yet in the restored Hotel Saratoga; and a nearby school classroom that was severely damaged, was empty at the time of the blast, which appears to have been caused by a gas leak.