Venezuela and Nicaragua express solidarity with Cuba following the damage caused by Hurricane Ian.

247 - Following the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in Cuba, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expressed his solidarity with the Cuban government and people and announced the immediate delivery of aid to the Caribbean island, reports the Telesur news agency. 

"All the support and solidarity of Venezuela, so that we can immediately go and support the people of Pinar del Río, in western Cuba, for the damage that this hurricane caused this morning," said the Venezuelan head of state, emphasizing that "Cuba and Venezuela are one homeland, one people."

The President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, also sent a message of solidarity to Cubans affected by the hurricane. In his message, Ortega, along with Vice President Rosario Murillo, reaffirmed what he called his "always supportive and grateful to all, and in particular to the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, the Government of the Republic, Army General Raúl Castro, and President Miguel Díaz-Canel."

He further announced that his government "is awaiting reports on the material damage in provinces so important to the economy of that brotherly country, and, as always, our energetic and determined condemnation of the criminal Yankee blockade and the brutal consequences for that fraternal people."

Hurricane Ian swept through the province of Pinar del Río during the early hours of Tuesday as a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour and heavy rains that caused flooding. Along its path, Ian caused damage that disrupted Cuban electricity service, leading to power outages across much of the island. 

Images shared on social media showed damage to homes, agriculture, electricity and telephone services, among other things. (With Telesur). 

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