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Dozens of military personnel and officials from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) of Cuba marched this Friday in formation towards the Karl Marx Theater in the Miramar neighborhood of Havana for a high-level official event as part of the celebrations for the anniversary of the institution.
The CNN correspondent Patrick Oppmann documented the concentration of uniformed personnel during his morning walk.
"I came across a large concentration of military officers on my morning walk, apparently to commemorate the anniversary of the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba tomorrow," said Oppmann.
The event coincides with two consecutive commemorative dates: June 5 marks the anniversary of the Intelligence Directorate (DI), historically known as the General Intelligence Directorate (DGI), and June 6 is the official anniversary of MININT, which in 2026 will celebrate 65 years under the motto "A legacy of generations."
Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, National Coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) and former Cuban spy, congratulated the DGI on its anniversary with the phrase: "It had to be in silence... Congratulations, brothers, wherever you are!".
On his part, Roberto Morales Ojeda, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), published a message in which he described the MININT as a "faithful guardian of the Revolution" and stated that its legacy is "forged in the example of Fidel and Raúl Castro."
While the regime celebrates its apparatus of repression and intelligence, a neighbor from the area pointed out the contrast with the reality experienced by the rest of the country.
"If there’s a collaborator near the Karl Marx theater in Miramar, it would be good for them to take a look over there to see the waste of resources," wrote the citizen.
According to their testimony, in the days leading up to the event, curbs and signage were painted, lights that had been out of service for years were replaced, teams of workers repaired the flowerbeds within a radius of at least one kilometer, accumulated trash from months was collected, streets and sidewalks were swept, the interior of the theater was fumigated against pests, and palm trees were planted at the Central House of MININT, located right next to the venue.
"The area around the theater is filled with trucks, cranes, and small excavators, all swarming with military personnel—it's a whole revolution. I asked one person what all the commotion was about, and he said there was going to be a high-level event. It was no surprise. 'Speechless,' concluded the neighbor."
The beautification effort contrasts with the widespread deterioration of infrastructure, accumulation of garbage, and frequent blackouts that the Cuban population experiences daily, while the regime allocates extraordinary resources for its internal ceremonies.
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