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The Cuban regime organized a "revolutionary reaffirmation" event this Wednesday in the municipality of Caibarién, Villa Clara, following the assassination of the captain of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR), Leonel Mesa Rodríguez, which occurred on September 19.
With the dawn, the Plaza de Actos in the locality hosted an official gathering attended by leaders of the Communist Party, provincial authorities, military commanders, and family members of the deceased official.
The First Secretary of the Party in Villa Clara, Susely Morfa González, the governor Milaxy Yanet Sánchez Armas, the head of the Military Region of Villa Clara, First Colonel Israel Cubertier Valdés, and Colonel Orelbys Fernández Puig, responsible for the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) in the province, led the event.
The official speech presented Mesa Rodríguez as a “fallen hero in the line of duty”, in line with the propaganda strategy deployed since the crime was confirmed. During the ceremony, slogans supporting the so-called “revolution” were heard, and there was an insistence on the need to “defend the homeland against crime and enemies.”
Captain Mesa, 62 years old, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head and six stab wounds on a stretch of road between Remedios and Caibarién. The MININT acknowledged that it was a direct attack and assured that specialized teams were investigating the incident.
This Wednesday, the Attorney General's Office reported that the person arrested for the crime is Nectzary Morales Gálvez, currently under precautionary detention.
The "acts of revolutionary reaffirmation" are part of the regime's strategy to project control and political cohesion in times of crisis. Rather than emerging as spontaneous expressions, these gatherings are often organized on a mandatory basis, mobilizing students, workers, and mass organizations under patriotic slogans.
In this case, the government sought to transform Mesa's assassination into a symbol of "unity" between the people and the repressive forces, despite the fact that social media and independent outlets are filled with testimonies that recall the captain for the abuses committed during his tenure as sector chief in the locality of La Reforma.
The crime involving the officer occurs in a context marked by an increase in violence and public insecurity on the island, exacerbated by the economic and social crisis.
As reports of theft, assaults, and homicides rise, the regime is betting on official funerals and reaffirmation events to strengthen its narrative of resistance, in contrast to the growing discontent among the population.
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