While thousands of Cubans face a retirement marked by scarcity and minimal pensions, the Cuban regime has opted to reinforce the privileges of its military.
A new regulation approved by the Council of State and published this Thursday in the Official Gazette relaxes the calculation of pensions, allows for dual incomes, and further prioritizes the military sector amid the country’s economic collapse.
The Decree-Law 105/2025, which modifies the special social security regime for the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), establishes that the cap on pensions will remain, in general, 90% of the last salary, but this limit no longer applies in cases such as military personnel with 50 or more years of service and retirees with 45 years of service who return for at least five more years, even if they are not consecutive.
One of the most striking points of the new decree is that retired military personnel will be able to work and receive both their salary and pension, whether in new positions or by returning to the same role they held upon retirement. The decision will rest with the Minister of the FAR, which adds a layer of institutional discretion to the process.
In a country where most workers live with salaries and pensions insufficient to afford the basics, this dual income for military personnel is seen as an exclusive advantage, reserved for those who uphold the repressive and controlling apparatus.
How the pension is calculated now
The regulation also modifies the calculation formula for seniority:
- The first 25 years of military service grant 60% of the calculation base.
- For each additional year, an extra 3% is added, until reaching 90%, unless the previously mentioned exceptions apply, which allow exceeding that limit.
When can your pension be suspended?
The text also defines new reasons for suspension:
- Do not attend mandatory medical examinations.
- Do not establish legal guardianship if the pensioner is incapacitated.
- In the case of pensioned widowers, if they start working, they will lose their pension.
Meanwhile, the people..
The decision strongly contrasts with the reality of millions of Cubans who watch their pension lose value month after month. While civil retirees survive on less than the equivalent of $10 a month, the government chooses to further protect and reward its uniformed personnel.
The provision also orders to update the complete regulation of the special military regime within 30 days, as well as to publish a revised version of Decree-Law 344 from 2016, which governs this exclusive system.
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