By Roberto Morejon
 
In the western province of Matanzas and the rest of Cuba respectfully remembered the 17 dead during the fire at the supertanker base, on the first anniversary of a tragedy that shook this archipelago.
 
The tribute was associated with the repeated show of admiration for the fire department, volunteers, Red Cross members, health and transport personnel who did not rest to help extinguish the flames and attend to the wounded and victims.
 
The Cubans lived moments of anxiety during the previous summer when they saw the images of that mushroom of fire and smoke rising in the sky.
 
With the decisive help of technical personnel from Venezuela and Mexico and the contribution of Cubans in Matanzas and the rest of the country, it was possible to put out the fire and eventually see the images of the burnt fuel tanks.
 
Today, work is being done in Matanzas to attend to the victims and to recognize those who died in the line of duty.  
 
Thus a Memorial will be erected in Matanzas that according to its planners will serve to highlight the heroism and the unity of a country turned towards Matanzas.
 
Even in the midst of the marked material hardships of today's Cuba, mainly due to the U.S. blockade, several economic and social actors and the State join efforts to provide shelter to families punished by the tragedy a year ago.
 
Several of them opened new homes built with progressive facilities, that is to say, susceptible to expansion by the contribution of the inhabitants, in a development area in the suburbs of the city of Matanzas.
 
Although the material limitations impose restrictions to a work like the one foreseen, they do not stop in the resurgence of the Matanzas supertanker base.
 
Technicians and workers are laying out piping systems to transfer diesel and crude oil between the tanks to be built, close to the docks, and a new laboratory and maintenance workshops are announced.
 
A new tank should be ready in 2024 with greater guarantees in case of disasters, such as attachments to retain more fuel in case of possible spills, a new lightning rod system and the preparation of a risk study, to be carried out by Venezuelan experts.
 
Cubans will be able to rely on the rescue of the supertanker base, even in the midst of material shortages, with greater safety for workers and residents of the surrounding area.