Amid the current health situation in Cuba, marked by high numbers of coronavirus infections, authorities will begin recruiting young people for the Active Military Service on Monday, February 15th.
Just as it happened in 2020, the call to join the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) will not cease despite the pandemic.
A report from Cuban Television specifies that at the Basic Training Center for new soldiers in the Havana Military Region, there is a call to young people "for their preparation in the defense of the homeland"; and it adds that "fulfilling military service is a task to be prioritized amidst the current health conditions."
Cuban authorities assure that the units of the Military Region comply with health protocols and have managed to prevent the contagion and spread of the coronavirus in their facilities.
The recruits will first undergo a screening to check for respiratory symptoms, and subsequently, when they move to the provincial recruitment area, they will be given a real-time PCR test, which provides results within 24 hours. The protocol states that if there is a positive result, they will be evacuated to the Luis Díaz Soto Hospital in Havana.
Colonel Valentín Lázaro Campos indicates that they view the call to Military Service at this time as "positive," and he praises "the step" those young people have taken.
In the midst of the delicate situation that the island is experiencing due to the pandemic, which has forced extreme measures in recent weeks, including a curfew from 9 PM to 5 AM in the capital and a drastic reduction of international flights, the Cuban Government boasts of "maintaining the country's defensive capability."
In April 2020, when the coronavirus was just beginning, Cuban authorities suspended family visits and the so-called "passes" for sergeants and soldiers undergoing military service due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, while awaiting the data from this Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) of Cuba announced on Tuesday 580 new cases of coronavirus and four deaths. Although the number has decreased compared to the dramatic month of January, it remains extremely high.
The newly renamed Active Military Service is only mandatory in Cuba for men starting at the age of 16. In the case of women, it is known as Volunteer Women's Military Service, and it is an option that some choose in order to pursue a university education, as the so-called Order 18 allows them to attend university as long as they have completed secondary education.
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