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UNESCO mission assesses damage from Hurricane Ian in the Valle de Viñales World Heritage site |
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13 October 2022/ UNESCO Havana
On September 26 and 27, 2022, Hurricane Ian struck Cuba, causing severe damage, especially in the western provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque and Havana, and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.
One of the most affected municipalities was Viñales, in the province of Pinar del Río, where is located the Viñales Valley, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999.
The UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, headed by its director, Anne Lemaistre, carried out an evaluation mission to the Viñales Valley on October 12. The delegation was also made up of the Culture National Professional Officer, Olga Rufins Machin, and the consultants Laura García Méndez and Francisco Coro Rodríguez, the vice president of the National Council of Cultural Heritage and focal point of Cuba for the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), Nilson Acosta Reyes, and the president of the Cuban National Commission of UNESCO, Dulce María Buergo Rodríguez.
With a view to evaluating the effects of Hurricane Ian, the visitors held meetings with the head of the Office of the Conservator of Viñales and Provincial Director of Monuments of Pinar del Río, Nidia Cabrera Huerta; the Coordinator of the constructions of the municipal government of Viñales, Yaritza Álvarez Morales; and the Senior Specialist of the Office of the Conservator of Viñales, Antonio Luis Mena. They also met with municipal authorities of Education.
The tour covered the Cultural Complex "House of Culture" and other buildings on the main avenue of the town of Viñales, as well as other rural areas where the effects caused by Hurricane Ian could be seen in houses, schools and crops
The Cultural Complex "House of Culture", located on the main square of the World Heritage site, was heavily damaged by the passage of Hurricane Ian. This colonial building, together with the Catholic Church located in the same square, are the only ones that hold the degree of protection 1, the highest category of protection established by the country. The building’s construction was completed in 1906. The Cultural Complex, established since 1982, is the centre of cultural activity in the municipality and the only one of its kind in town. For this reason, the services and facilities it offers are very necessary and appreciated by the population of the municipality. There is also a small art gallery standing adjacent to the House of Culture that organizes cultural events and showcases local artists.
The province of Pinar del Río was one of the most affected by the meteor. Among the recorded damages, which indicate the magnitude of the disaster, there are 38,219 persons evacuated; 3 people deceased; 497 schools with some type of damage; 319 health facilities affected, including five hospitals, 23 other facilities and 205 doctor’s offices of the Family Medical programme; 10 sports facilities damaged; 100,000 homes affected, of which 8,439 were totally destroyed and 41,307 with roof damage; as well as severe affectations in the production of tobacco, the fundamental economic line of the province, with 11,750 tobacco drying houses totally or partially destroyed.
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Related Link(s): World Heritage |
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