A major from the Revolutionary Armed Forces, identified on social media as Dany Rivera, posted on his Facebook profile a reel in which he issued a bellicose challenge to the President of the United States, on behalf of a group of young Cuban military personnel.
The video, titled "Youth of Homeland or Death. Surely We Will Overcome," garnered over 17,000 views and 341 comments, most of which mocked the message and its senders.
In the recording, Rivera stands at the forefront of a group of young recruits to lead the chorus of conscripts from the Mandatory Military Service, who threaten to shoot Donald Trump:
"Know, Mr. President of the United States, that we are here ready to fight once again! And if you liked the atmosphere that was present at Playa Girón, for the next invasion, try bringing your luggage, because Cuba will give you a direct trip to the wall! Prepare! Aim! Fire! Fidel, Fidel, Fidel!"
The video is part of a propaganda escalation by MINFAR that intensified since the beginning of 2026, when Washington's military pressure on the island sharpened with the visit of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to the Guantanamo naval base in June and his new warnings from Panama in August, where he stated that the U.S. demands cooperation from Cuba "whether they like it or not."
Since then, the military ministry has systematically published messages on social media with phrases like “war should not be provoked, but we will engage if the enemy imposes it” and “the order for a ceasefire will never be given”, a rhetoric that Cubans on social media have responded to with waves of sarcasm.
According to a post on Facebook on the profile of user Tania Guevara, the identity of the official who led the propaganda initiative matches the name they use on social media.
“El Mayor Dany Rivera is an example for us, the young revolutionaries,” Guevara said in May 2025, referring to the official’s participation in the 12th Congress of the Union of Communist Youth.
The tone of the comments on Major Rivera's video was harsh. “If they see the first American plane flying, they’ll line up for the bathroom,” wrote one user. Another was more direct: “Put a ship on the beach and not a single one will remain.” A third suggested: “Start with the Guantanamo Naval Base.”
Other internet users pointed out the hunger situation endured by the soldiers themselves. "It’s dangerous to shout like that on an empty stomach," one quipped, while another went further: "I bet that day they were given bread with oil and water with sugar in exchange for filming that nonsense. Remember their faces. In a few years, we’ll see the first ones waiting in line at Burger King."
The most frequently asked question in the thread was whether anyone had understood what was being said, given that the official's speech was practically unintelligible. "What language are they speaking?" asked one user. Another summed up the general sentiment: "Imagine being an American Delta Force and arriving in a war against Cuba and encountering this".
The video of Major Rivera is not an isolated case. Since January 2026, MINFAR has released a series of military recordings that have sparked widespread ridicule: Soviet Mi-8 helicopters in supposed tactical insertions, exercises with mules and ox-drawn carts in Villa Clara, and cadets in what users have dubbed a “military fantasy.”
A training video published in late May surpassed 92,500 views, also accompanied by hundreds of ironic comments.
The disconnect between the regime's war rhetoric and the reality of the island—power outages that can last for days, food shortages, and massive emigration—does not go unnoticed by Cubans. "Look, stop with the nonsense; nobody has water, food, or electricity in their home," summarized a user in the video thread.
The FAR has approximately between 45,000 and 50,000 active military personnel, equipped with obsolete Soviet equipment and a doctrine focused solely on territorial defense, far from the offensive capability suggested by the regime's propaganda.
Filed under: