Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, one of the last survivors of the founding generation of the Cuban Revolution, passed away this Sunday—Father's Day—at the age of 94, as announced by the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel in a thread of three posts on his official account on the social media platform X.
"The physical departure of the Commander of the Revolution, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, pains me deeply, like that of a father. This is how I have always wanted and respected him. This is how I will remember his support and advice, his discreet collaboration and exemplary dedication to the service of the homeland," wrote Díaz-Canel.
Born on April 28, 1932 in Artemisa, Valdés participated in the assault on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953, was an expeditionary on the Granma yacht, and fought in the Rebel Army as the second-in-command of Che Guevara’s column during the invasion from East to West.
After the triumph of 1959, he became the chief architect of the repression apparatus of the Cuban State Security: he was the first head of the Ministry of Interior (MININT) since its establishment in 1961, founded the Department of State Security and the General Intelligence Directorate, and maintained close ties with the Soviet KGB.
He held the position of Minister of the Interior during two terms—1961-1968 and 1979-1985—and was also Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Minister of Informatics and Communications, and a founding member of the Central Committee and the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba.
In his message, Díaz-Canel emphasized that "every act of Commander Ramiro's life was marked by his absolute loyalty to the leadership of Fidel and Raúl, to his fellow fighters, and to the Moncada Program," and concluded with the slogan: "Until victory always, Commander!"
The death of Valdés did not come as a surprise to those who followed his public track. His absence from official events since September 2025 had led to growing speculation about his health, and in January and February 2026, unofficial reports circulated regarding his hospitalization in serious condition.
On June 6th, during the event for the 65th anniversary of MININT —the institution he founded—, his absence was particularly noticeable: Díaz-Canel paid tribute to the organization without Valdés being present.
With his passing, the historic generation of the Cuban Revolution is reduced to two figures: Raúl Castro, aged 95, and Guillermo García Frías.
Before Valdés, other historical commanders had died: Fidel Castro in November 2016, Faure Chomón Mediavilla in December 2019, Efigenio Ameijeiras Delgado in February 2020, and Julio Camacho Aguilera and Marcos Antonio Hernández Alcaraz, both in December 2024.
The official confirmation arrived on Father's Day, a date that Díaz-Canel described as a day that "is shadowed by the pain of his departure."
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