The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces showcased military exercises again this Saturday as part of National Defense Day, in a renewed effort to demonstrate military strength and ideological cohesion while the population faces blackouts, shortages, and a rapid deterioration of living conditions.
Through their respective Facebook pages, the Western, Central, and Eastern Armies showcased several videos of military exercises, as part of the preparations for National Defense Day and the designated Year of Preparation for Defense 2026.
The images show shooting practices from trenches, movements of Mobile Combat Groups, rocket launches, controlled explosions, and the use of drones in training ranges.
The staging combines epic music, close-up shots of AK-47 rifles, and Cuban flags, presented in a clearly promotional format.
According to the official narrative, these exercises aim to enhance the country's combat readiness in the face of an "external threat," referring to the escalation of tensions with the United States following the capture of the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on January 3, in a U.S. military operation.
The authorities insist on the doctrine of "total people’s war" and the need to involve civilians, militia members, and reservists in national defense.
The deployment coincides with the government announcement that Saturdays will be systematically dedicated to the military, political, and ideological training of the population.
However, the authorities have not explained how this measure will impact working life, education, and community involvement, nor what form citizen participation will take.
Far from generating consensus, the military exhibition sparked a wave of critical reactions on social media.
Many users questioned the state of the weaponry, which they described as obsolete, and compared the drills to a spectacle designed more to intimidate the population than to prepare for a real war.
Comments such as “completely outdated systems,” “stunts to intimidate the people,” or “a mockery in the face of modern military technology” reflect widespread skepticism.
Other users explicitly separated the notion of homeland from the government, questioning what real reasons exist to "defend" a regime that does not guarantee basic living conditions.
The contrast between the war rhetoric and daily reality is becoming increasingly evident. While the Ministry of the Armed Forces speaks of invulnerability, sacrifice, and socialist defense, Cuba is undergoing one of the worst crises in its recent history, characterized by inflation, prolonged blackouts, shortages, unprecedented mass migration, censorship, and repression of any dissenting expressions.
Analysts and users agree that the militaristic emphasis is less about an imminent threat and more about an internal political need, aimed at reinforcing control, emotionally mobilizing the population, and diverting attention from an economic and social collapse that the regime itself cannot contain.
Thus, among rifles inherited from the Cold War, drones displayed as trophies, and epic music playing in the background, the power once again relies on military theater as a substitute for real answers to the crisis facing the country.
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