The King of the South returns to his domain.

The King of the South has returned to the railway lines in the fields of the municipality of Jesús Menéndez, alleviating the anxiety of many people who need to travel for work, medical appointments, school, leisure, and even to transport basic foodstuffs.

“The motor car is providing services in full technical working order. This was the assessment of the railway experts, who authorized its circulation after a rigorous examination,” say José Agustín Díaz García and Michel García Rodríguez, workers at the Logistics Base Business Unit (UEB in Spanish) of the Provincial Transport Company, the architects of the “miracle.”

José Agustín and Michel, as subjects of the iron monarch and the will of the people, took on the challenge of restoring the useful life of the ancient vehicle, which reigns in those remote areas of the vast southern part of the territory.

A TEAM...

José Agustín (far left) and Michel defy the odds and overcome obstacles.

To be more precise, the survival of the “giant” is not an act of magic, but the result of the interest of the highest authorities of the Party and the Government in the province and the locality, and the effort and dedication of José Agustín and Michel, balancers and distributors of the aforementioned UEB, but with vast experience in mechanical matters.

With the simplicity and modesty typical of heroes, they clarify that they led the work, but "the support and participation of Jorge Díaz Almaguer and Yunier Salazar Medina, engineer and driver, respectively, of the motor car, and welder César Elías Arias Téllez, a welder who put his hands, wisdom, and personal equipment and tools at the service of the project, were decisive. “César was with us the whole time,” they testify.

“If the team members integrate as a system, and each one acts in coordination with the others and carries out their tasks with responsibility and commitment, the process flows and the tasks are accomplished more easily, even if the challenges are greater,” says José Agustín, and Michel nods in agreement. They have formed a duo to be respected."

“We took on the task assigned to us by the Party and the government as a challenge. They told us that we would only earn our normal salary for the work, and we accepted, even though we knew how big the task was. The days were long and exhausting. We traveled almost daily from Las Tunas to Chaparra and back, because some of the resources were manufactured in our workshops, where the necessary machining tools are located,” they recount.

THE ADAPTATION...

“The King of the South was out of service for two years and five months,” they recall and comment: “In just 21 days, we managed to adapt a YaMZ-238 engine from a KP3 with all its attachments. It was used, but in very good technical condition.”

They say that on July 25, they delivered the equipment in full working order, ready to fulfill its mission to the highest authorities of the Party and the Government in the province and the locality and, of course, to the people, and that the work included the entire electrical installation of the engine, dashboard, driver's cab, passenger compartment...

Now, “we feel great satisfaction in contributing something to thousands of people in remote rural areas, many of which are difficult to access,” they exclaim, their faces showing the joy that solving the problem brings them.

RECALLING OTHER CHALLENGES

What has been achieved is just one page in the extensive work of public service carried out by José Agustín and Michel, who have selflessly applied their interest, knowledge, experience, and determination to each challenge.

They had already done something similar with the Majibacoa railbus, which also runs through intricate areas of that municipality. But the real test came during the fateful days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when they rose to the occasion with the same nobility and fortitude to support the forces fighting the deadly disease.

José Agustín defied his chlorine allergy and, together with Michel and other colleagues, spent almost 24 hours a day in the red zone, converting buses into mobile hospitals and minibuses into ambulances. “We dismantled and reassembled all the resources these means of transport needed to save lives.”

IN PERSPECTIVE...

As if their vast experience were not enough, José Agustín and Michel are already planning to restore the vitality of the Manatí motor car, a means of transport that links the city of Las Tunas with the capital of that northern municipality and the area of the Port of Manatí.

And there is no reason to doubt their success, because their endorsement lies in everything they have done as subjects of the King of the South and another sovereign: the people.

SUBJECTS WITH CROWNS

They also wear with dignity the crown of sacrifice, which is well deserved, founded by José Agustín in almost three decades of uninterrupted work in this UEB, where he had opportunities and took advantage of them by working and studying until he mastered the comprehensive mechanical system, after two years and five months of military service in the fields of the People's Republic of Angola.

Sixteen years ago, Michel found in his colleague a guide whom he has followed since he arrived at the UEB, and they have formed a team that works “miracles” with their innovative spirit, determination, and dedication.