The Cuban regime revived its militaristic rhetoric this Monday with the beginning of the so-called Year of Preparation for Defense 2026 in the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), a program aimed at "strengthening military invulnerability" and perfecting the "combat use" of the troops.
The National Television News showed tanks, weaponry, and troop formations, in a setting reminiscent of military propaganda events from past decades.
The military speech arrives in a regional context characterized by the military presence of the United States in the Caribbean, following the recent operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the control of the Venezuelan transition process under the supervision of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
While Washington consolidates its influence in the region, the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel seeks to project internal cohesion and strength through messages that evoke Cold War rhetoric.
However, the national reality contrasts with that narrative. Cuban soldiers appear thin, weak, with obsolete weaponry and military exercises that resemble children's gymnastics routines. This has sparked a strong wave of criticism on social media.
The central event took place at the large tank unit Gloria Combativa Rescate de Sanguily, Orden Antonio Maceo, and was led by Brigadier General Roberto Navarro Cabrejas, who reiterated the army's commitment to “fight any enemy aggression alongside the people.”
The program announced by the FAR includes "the modernization of techniques and weaponry," as well as "the strengthening of political and ideological work" within the military units.
It also included "food production" and "care for humanity," expressions that often appear in the rhetoric of the Cuban army to reinforce its image as a self-sufficient institution.
The new "year of preparation for defense" seems to respond more to a symbolic need to reaffirm military power than to a genuine national defense strategy.
At a time when Cuba is facing its greatest political fragility in decades, the regime is once again resorting to the rhetoric of an external enemy to justify its hold on power.
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