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The Cuban regime held the fifteenth National Defense Day this Friday in Cienfuegos, featuring military exercises by sea and air, with the declared objective of preparing local authorities to confront a possible enemy invasion and to restore the territory's defensive capabilities.
The Defense Zone 270705 Castillo-CEN in the municipality of Cienfuegos was the epicenter of a comprehensive deployment of leadership and command structures that extended throughout the province, reported the official newspaper 5 de Septiembre.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces conducted a practical exercise from the bay of Cienfuegos simulating actions to confront the enemy from the sea.
Simultaneously, a drill was conducted to protect the population from a limited airstrike, during which the health subgroup acted in the evacuation of potential casualties and provided specialized medical care in the area, the source indicated.
The day included combined classes aimed at the Production and Defense Brigades, along with a tactical exercise from the Defense Zone to counter enemy actions infiltrated by sea and air.
Yadira Pérez Negrín, president of the Municipal Defense Council, presented before Armando Carranza Valladares and Yolexis Rodríguez Armada, president and vice president of the Provincial Defense Council, respectively, the strategic importance of the actions.
"It is imperative to strengthen defensive cohesion and practices to protect the population," he emphasized.
The authorities concluded the day in Cienfuegos by referencing the Bronze Titan, Antonio Maceo (1845-1896): "Whoever attempts to take over Cuba will gather the dust of its soil soaked in blood, if they do not perish in the struggle."
The exercises known as the Pearl of the South are taking place at a time of heightened tension between Havana and Washington. On Wednesday, the National Assembly of People's Power issued a statement warning of a "real and dangerous threat of direct military aggression" from the United States and requested support from parliaments around the world.
On May 19, the American news portal Politico reported that the Pentagon and Southern Command had begun planning sessions for potential military actions against Cuba, ranging from a targeted airstrike to a ground invasion, although a White House official clarified that this planning did not mean that Trump had made a decision to attack the island.
The island's government declared 2026 as the "Year of Preparation for Defense" and instituted exercises every weekend under the doctrine of the War of All the People, which mobilizes civilians, militias, and municipal structures to sustain prolonged resistance against external aggression.
Previous drills have generated massive mockery on social media due to the use of outdated weaponry and anachronistic tactics. In February, in Taguasco, Sancti Spíritus, oxen teams were transporting metal blocks to block roads as part of defensive training.
In this context, the National Defense Council published a guide urging each family to prepare an emergency bag with medications, water, a radio, and candles, products that in practice are not available in Cuban state pharmacies, shifting the burden of military preparedness onto a population already impoverished by blackouts and shortages.
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