The Cuban state television showcased this week the training of the Matanzas special troops regiment, in a report aired by TV Yumurí on May 6 that reveals the physical routines and combat techniques of a unit directly linked to the so-called Black Wasps, the elite brigade of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).
The segment showcases the indoor gym of the unit, equipped with about 40 machines and accessories, where the fighters practice dominations, parallel bars, abdominal exercises, fixed bar, and the martial art Kioksul, a combat system of Korean origin structured in 12 levels that is taught in the unit up to the third level, equivalent to the green belt.
"We have a tatami measuring 12 by 12, where we practice the techniques of Kioksul, a Korean martial art that consists of 12 levels. Here, fighters are trained up to the third level, which is categorized as a green belt, and they must fight against two or more adversaries," explained an instructor from the regiment before the news cameras.
The Kioksul is precisely one of the characteristic techniques of the Black Wasps, the Mobile Brigade of Special Troops (BMTE) of the FAR, officially founded on December 1, 1986, with roots in the Angola war since 1975, and whose training has historically included Soviet, Vietnamese, North Korean, and Chinese advisors.
According to the report, physical training has a specific operational purpose: "to develop the skills, strength, endurance, and physical capacity that help the combatant accomplish a mission in the shortest possible time without casualties," stated one of the interviewed combatants.
The news report also featured soldier Víctor Orosco Delgado, a member of the provincial boxing pre-selection from Matanzas, who takes advantage of military facilities with sports permission to prepare for competitions scheduled for September 2026.
The release of this type of content is not by chance. Four months earlier, on January 3, 2026, U.S. forces carried out an operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro. In that operation, 32 Cubans died, who were part of the Venezuelan dictator's security detail, although later sources specified that not all necessarily belonged to the BMTE; rather, they included bodyguards, MININT agents, and FAR officers.
After that episode, the Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) intensified its presence on social media with messages such as "no enemy will be spared," and state television increased coverage of military training in various provinces.
It is not the first time that the regime has used official media to showcase the capabilities of its special forces. In February 2024, Russian television Zvezda featured the training of the Black Wasps in tropical camouflage, mountainous deployment, and sabotage, describing them as "ninjas." In June 2025, the Young Communist Union decorated Cuban special troops amid student protests.
The narrator of the TV report Yumurí clearly summarizes the purpose of this training: "Physical preparation is a fundamental aspect in special forces units. It enhances the training of these fighters, who are tasked with missions that require extraordinary physical and mental capacity."
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