On this day in 2025, after several days of anguish following the explosion and subsequent fire at a military construction site in the Holguin town of Melones. The deaths of the group of young men who honorably faced the disaster were officially confirmed.
The news, officially announced by the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, was no less painful for being expected. Families, friends, and the entire town mourned the loss of those who were fulfilling their duty. The fire, caused by an unfortunate electrical failure at a military equipment storage facility. Not only consumed structures; it claimed lives in their prime.
Those young men, who threw themselves against the flames to prevent a greater catastrophe, not only controlled the fire. Also they ignited an eternal flame in the collective memory. Becoming symbols of a sacrifice that Holguin will never forget.
Moreover the young men who risked their lives to control the fire became symbols of courage and sacrifice. And their memory remains alive among those who knew them and the people at large.
A year later, the pain resurfaces as the date coincides with another loss for the Cuban people. With the arrival this Thursday of the remains of the 32 Cuban combatants. Who died during the attack perpetrated by the United States government against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The coincidence of these two tragedies resonates deeply in the heart of the nation. Which once again faces loss and mourning for those who left too soon.
Also the Cuban people face this day with a mixture of sadness and pride. Sadness for the lives cut short and pride for the courage shown by these men. In every tear shed and in every prayer raised to heaven, the promise that their memory will endure resonates.
Cuba not only mourns; Cuba embraces its sons and daughters, those who fell on their homeland and those who return to it for eternal rest. Their memory will endure as long as there is a nation that knows how to honor those who gave everything.
By: Leannis Berbén Leyva
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