The Training Ship Simón Bolívar (BE-11) of the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela arrived this Thursday at the Guillermón Moncada port in Santiago de Cuba, as part of its XXXVI Instructional Cruise Abroad.
His arrival was marked by 21 artillery salutes that caused widespread alarm among the Santiago population.
The detonations were heard at various points in the city, and according to reports, they were fired both from the ship and from the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca -the historic Morro of Santiago de Cuba- as part of the protocolary salute of the highest honor in international naval tradition.
Independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada documented on Facebook the citizen confusion and criticized the silence of the official Cuban media.
"This Thursday morning began with surprise for many residents of Santiago. A total of 21 artillery salutes were heard at various points in the city, causing concern and numerous questions among the population," he said.
"Dozens of people wrote to me in alarm, trying to find out what was happening in the bay of Santiago de Cuba," Mayeta wrote in her post, where she explained that only after making inquiries was she able to confirm that it was about the arrival of the Venezuelan ship.
The journalist was emphatic in pointing out the responsibility of the state media.
"It is unfortunate that the official media do not provide advance information about events of this nature. A simple informative note could have prevented the concern of hundreds of Santiago residents who woke up startled this morning, unsure if it was a military event, an emergency, or some extraordinary incident," he emphasized.
The Venezuelan Embassy in Cuba had published an invitation the previous day for the public to visit the ship between June 5 and June 7, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with free access at the Santiago port, but this information was not disseminated by the official media in a timely manner.
It was striking that the publication from the Venezuelan diplomatic mission included the hashtags #LosQueremosDeVuelta and #BringThemBack, which are typically associated with campaigns for the release of political prisoners in Venezuela, in the context of what was presented as a simple tourist invitation.
The Simón Bolívar, known as "The Ambassador Without Borders," is a three-masted sailing ship with 120 cadets on board that began its journey of 4,200 nautical miles on March 21, 2026, with stops in Grenada, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mexico, and Cuba.
It is not the first time the ship has visited Santiago de Cuba: in June 2024, during its XXXIV Instruction Cruise, the vessel arrived at the same port, Guillermón Moncada, with 173 crew members, in a week that coincided with the presence of military ships from Russia, Canada, and the United States in Cuban waters.
Mayeta concluded her complaint with a reflection that encapsulates the regime's pattern of information opacity: "Because timely reporting is not a luxury. It is a responsibility. And when information does not arrive, fear and uncertainty take its place."
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