VINLEC has toasted the 15-member Cuban linesmen brigade who spent three months in Union Island helping to restore electricity after the network was damaged extensively by Hurricane Beryl on July 1.
On Saturday, the company held a cocktail reception in Villa in honour of the team as they prepared to return to Cuba.
CEO of VINLEC, Vaughn Lewis noted that the impact of the storm in Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, and Palm Island was “absolutely devastating”.
He said VINLEC moved quickly in St. Vincent and Bequia to restore power and nervously awaited word from the Southern Grenadines — where the impact of the category 4 hurricane was worst.
“When we finally heard from their colleagues in the Grenadines, we realised it was as bad as we could ever imagine, as bad as we had heard from our colleagues in Dominica after Hurricane Maria.”
He said VINLEC received assistance from regional utilities to restore electricity on Canouan and the company was able to complete the work there and in Mayreau by the end of August.
However, VINLEC realised that it needed significantly more help on Union Island, Lewis said, adding that the company’s largest island network in the Grenadines “was virtually destroyed”.
He said that Cuba, through its ambassador to Kingstown, Carlos E. Rodriguez Etcheverry, offered to help.
“We greatly appreciate your assistance. We appreciate your rigorous work ethic, your expertise and your professional recommendations to improve our network,” Lewis told the linesmen.
Meanwhile, Minister of Energy, Senator Benarva Browne spoke of Cuba’s contribution to health and education in St. Vincent and the Grenadines prior to their assistance with restoring the electricity grid on Union Island.
She said she remembered the tense conversations with Lewis and the chair of VINLEC’s board of directors, Rene Baptiste as they talked about the plan to restore electricity across the country after the cyclone.
The minister congratulated the Cuban presence, saying there was a quick and timely response to the request.
“I, personally, witnessed them working in the field in Union Island,” Browne said, adding that although she had little time to interact with the linesmen she saw them working hard.
“I am very thankful for the help you gave to the people of Union Island and more so the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In short, we could not have done this without you.”
She noted that Hurricane Milton impacted Cuba in October, while the linesmen were working in SVG.
Browne said the government and people of SVG stand in solidarity with Cuba as it moves toward rebuilding.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez Etcheverry told the cocktail reception that they were gathered “with hearts full of gratitude and admiration to pay a well-deserved tribute to those men who once again demonstrated the true meaning of solidarity and brotherhood among nations”.
He expressed on behalf of the Cuban people “our most heartfelt thanks to the Cuban brigade of linesmen who did not hesitate to leave behind their homes, their families and their own needs to extend a helping hand to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a moment of great need”.
The diplomat said the hurricane left deep scars on this land, affecting the daily lives of its people, disrupting the power supply and testing the resilience of this nation.
“But, as we have seen so many times throughout history, in the darkest moments, the light of solidarity and compassion shines the brightest,” Rodriguez Etcheverry said.
He said the Cuban linesmen arrived in SVG not merely as workers, “but as brothers, guided by an unwavering commitment to help those in need.
“With dedication, professionalism and a profound sense of duty, they worked tirelessly, facing challenges and overcoming obstacles to restore the electrical networks and bring normalcy to the homes, schools and the hospital of this beloved sister island”.
He said the work of the Cubans was not merely a technical task.
“It was an act of love and respect towards the people we consider parts of our own family. They have shown that when Cuba comes to the aid of a friendly country, it does so not with an eye on self-interest but with a firm design to contribute to the well-being and happiness of our brothers and sisters,” Rodriguez Etcheverry
“For Cuba, it is an honour and a privilege to stand beside St. Vincent and the Grenadines whenever adversity strikes because that is what nations with unbreakable bonds of friendship Do. They support one another, rise together and grow stronger with each challenge overcome.”
He said Cuba’s commitment to SVG is not just a gesture of goodwill.
“It is a manifestation of the values that define us as a people. Solidarity, internationalism and fraternity among nations.”
And, in expressing thanks on behalf of his country, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said SVG and Cuba have unbreakable bonds of solidarity.
“We have had a history of good relations but since my government came to office in 2001, the relationship has gotten far closer,” he said.