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With an exaggeratedly triumphant tone, the Camilo Cienfuegos Military School in Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba, conducted around 15 collectives.
"With the joy and enthusiasm of our youth, the 15 Collectives are being celebrated at the Camilo Cienfuegos Military School in Contramaestre," stated the Eastern Army on its official Facebook profile.
"Congratulations to everyone—students, families, and the team that made this wonderful celebration possible," she noted.
The official Facebook page of the Ministry of the Armed Forces also celebrated what it considered a "beautiful tradition."
At the Camilo Cienfuegos Military Schools, there is a beautiful tradition: "collective fifteenth birthdays." Without a doubt, it is a special day in each of these schools. Recently, the EMCC in Contramaestre hosted this event.
The gallery displayed young women in quinceañera dresses alongside military cadets, revealing how even these celebrations are transformed into ideological acts, deeply invading individuals' personal spheres.
This type of "tradition" is typically showcased by the official pages in an attempt to humanize the young people who will one day be part of the various repressive organs of the Cuban regime.
In 2023, around thirty young people celebrated their 15th birthdays at a communal party at the Camilo Cienfuegos Military School in Ciego de Ávila.
In what the local state media calls a "beautiful tradition," over 30 quinceañeras participated in a waltz during a collective celebration that combines the traditional gala of "coming of age" with a political and ideological element, as it took place in a school where future Cuban military personnel are trained.
That same year, a total of 45 student couples from the Camilo Cienfuegos military school in Villa Clara held a collective 15th birthday party in honor of the guerrilla fighter Ernesto (Che) Guevara.
With a triumphant tone, the local newspaper Vanguardia de Cuba announced on Facebook that the young people— reportedly 90 of them, forming 45 pairs— "went in a caravan to pay tribute to the Heroic Guerrilla, Commander Ernesto Guevara, and his reinforcement detachment, with the commitment that these young people will not fail our Revolution."
Frequently asked questions about the collective 15th birthday celebrations in military schools in Cuba
What are the collective 15-year celebrations at the Camilo Cienfuegos Military School in Cuba?
The collective 15th birthday celebrations are organized at the Camilo Cienfuegos Military School for female students turning 15. These festivities blend the traditional gala of "entry into adulthood" with political and ideological elements, taking place in institutions where future Cuban soldiers are trained.
How are these types of celebrations used for ideological purposes?
These celebrations are presented by the Cuban regime as a "beautiful tradition" that humanizes future military personnel. They serve as propaganda tools to portray a softer side of military schools and reinforce the ideological indoctrination of young people. Quinceañera parties transform into events that blend personal celebration with tributes to figures of the regime, such as Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
What is the critique of these celebrations in the current Cuban context?
In the context of the deep economic and social crisis facing Cuba, these celebrations are seen as an attempt by the regime to divert attention from the country's real problems. Criticism focuses on the fact that, instead of addressing the urgent needs of the population, the government continues to invest resources in propaganda events that perpetuate the official ideology. Furthermore, these events are interpreted as an invasion of individuals' personal sphere, as they are used for political purposes.
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