The last group of workers from the Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) who supported the recovery of telecommunications in Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo provinces, severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa, has returned to Las Tunas after completing their mission.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Nine brigades, some 70 workers, participated in this effort. This is a company’s tradition in the face of the usual onslaught of hurricanes. However, this labor always provides new lessons and professional growth.
EVERY TRIP IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE
“We always gain knowledge of new things in every event of this type,” said Carlos Martínez Ávila, head of the Network Operations Department in the Las Tunas Territorial Division. “Even more so now with newly hired personnel. This has been a learning experience for everyone.”
Martínez Ávila emphasized that ETECSA's ongoing technological advancements transform these missions into training opportunities. "Besides tackling the recovery efforts, new technologies are introduced that allow us to continue improving," he added.
Nelson Francisco Reyes González, the director, conveyed the satisfaction of the supported provinces. "We told them: 'Work the way you do here in Las Tunas.' That demonstrates how we do our job. Every day, we are proud of our staff," Reyes González stated.
The director highlighted, among the significant achievements, the deployment of a brigade to Guantánamo even before the hurricane hit. He also acknowledged the effort deployed in the municipality of Guamá, in Santiago de Cuba, an area with challenging conditions.
Giovanni Montejo Mendoza, head of the Access Network Group, spoke of the emotional impact of the return. "All of our colleagues have many stories to tell. We remember difficult times, but today we reflect on the fact that we accomplished our mission." Montejo Mendoza emphasized the collective effort: “Everyone sacrificed, everyone had to contribute and innovate a great deal in a complex situation,” he stated.
Several brigade members were deeply affected by their experience in the municipality of Guamá, the longest in Cuba. There, the winds of Hurricane Melissa hit hardest.
What moved them most was the local population's solidarity. “People whose homes had been destroyed came and lovingly gave us what little they had,” one of the workers commented. “They didn’t give us what they had to spare; they gave us what they had.”
That gesture of humanity amidst the devastation encapsulated the spirit of the mission: a technical and organizational response, grounded in solidarity and commitment to the people.
