Photo: Fidel, soldier of ideas

By María Josefina Arce

The difficult situation Cuba is going through due to the scourge of two hurricanes in less than 20 days, brings to mind the actions and constant concern for his people of the historic leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro.

Only four years after the triumph of the revolution, the largest of the Antilles would face the devastating passage of Cyclone Flora. And in the front line leading the recovery efforts would be Fidel.

His humanism and commitment to his people, two traits that characterized him, would be immediately evident.

The leader of the Cuban revolution always insisted on the importance of preserving the lives of citizens in the face of any meteorological event and of keeping the people informed at all times.

In fact, as pointed out by Doctor of Science José Rubiera, from the Institute of Meteorology, a considerable part of the culture on tropical cyclones in Cuba is due to the particular attention paid by Fidel.

He emphasized that the historic leader of the Cuban revolution always devoted much time to the study of meteorological phenomena and, above all, to counteract their effect on the population's assets and the economy.

To his initiative we owe the creation in 1962 of the Civil Defense, which over the decades has had a great impact on the protection of the lives of Cubans and material resources.

Over the years, the Cuban Civil Defense has improved its work and is now recognized for its rapid response.

It has also shared its experience with other countries, especially in the Caribbean, which are also affected by tropical storms.

Fidel was always present in every corner of the Caribbean nation affected by a meteorological event, taking an interest in the situation of the inhabitants and ensuring the proper development of the recovery efforts.

This dynamism, humanism and concern for the Cuban people were values that permeated the Revolution, which never abandoned any of its children.