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The XI Plenary of the Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) promoted General of the Army Corps Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, First Deputy Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) since 2021, as a member of the Political Bureau of the PCC, as announced by the regime's own organization.
The PCC note specifies that Legrá Sotolongo is a graduate of the Military Higher Education and that he studied at the Interarmas "General Antonio Maceo" Cadet School, specializing in Tactical Command of General Troops.
He also notes that he studied from 1983 to 1987 at the General Staff Academy of the former USSR ("Mikhail Frunze").
According to his biography featured on the PCC's CC site, the military officer held various positions, including: Infantry Battalion Chief, Tank Brigade Chief, chief of military regions in Villa Clara and Santiago de Cuba, chief of the General Staff of the Western Army, director of the Interarms School "General Antonio Maceo", of the FAR Academy "General Máximo Gómez Báez", deputy chief of the General Staff, and head of the Operations Directorate of the FAR.
He also completed an internationalist mission in Angola as the head of a Tactical Group and pursued a specialization in National Defense and Security at the CODEN, as well as the third level of Command and Strategic Operational Staff at the FAR Academy.
Among his decorations are the "Ignacio Agramonte" medals (third, second, and first class), "Internationalist Combatant" (second class), "For the Victory Cuba-Angola" medals, commemorative of the 40th, 50th, and 60th anniversaries of the FAR, and distinctions "For Service in the FAR" for X, XV, and XX years.
He was delegated to the VI, VII, and VIII Congresses of the PCC, and at the VIII he was elected a member of the Central Committee. Additionally, he has been a deputy in the National Assembly of People's Power since 2018.
Currently, the Political Bureau is composed of Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Roberto Tomás Morales Ojeda, Esteban Lazo Hernández, Salvador Valdés Mesa, and Manuel Marrero Cruz.
Additionally, it includes Gladys Martínez Verdecia, Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, Marta Ayala Ávila, General of the Army Álvaro López Miera, Teresa María Amarelle Boué, and General of the Army Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas.
The faithful to the regime
Currently, four key figures hold the rank of Army Corps General in active service in Cuba, solidifying the core of military power: Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, Álvaro López Miera, Joaquín Quintas Solá, and Roberto Legrá Sotolongo.
López Miera, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), is regarded as the main military strategist of the regime and one of Castro's most trusted men.
Joaquín Quintas Solá, at 86 years old, continues to serve as deputy minister of the FAR and head of the Central Strategic Region, recently participating in maneuvers such as Meteoro 2025 and the Bastion exercise.
Roberto Legrá Sotolongo (70), head of the General Staff, completes the trio of high command of the Cuban regime's army.
The active presence of these generals reflects not only loyalty to the Castro legacy but also the regime's commitment to maintaining a command structure based on loyalty, seniority, and strict control of the armed forces.
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