The Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) launched a series of videos on Facebook titled "A Day in the Camilitos," showcasing the Camilo Cienfuegos Military Schools as centers of academic excellence and institutional pride, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of their founding.
In the videos, students describe facilities that include physics, chemistry, language, computer science, and biology laboratories, as well as two specialized classrooms: one for civic preparation and another for cultural overview.
The daily routine depicted begins with the sergeant's reveille, followed by morning exercises, inspection, breakfast, transportation to the shooting range, and six class shifts.
One of the students featured in the second chapter summarizes his experience this way: "I feel pride, pride in being here, pride in being with my classmates, in what I've learned, and in what I will continue to learn."
Another goes further in his statement: "Being a camilito means revolution, socialism," a phrase that straightforwardly reveals the explicit ideological component of the training.
The series "A Day in the Camilitos" projects an image of discipline and excellence during a time of profound economic crisis in Cuba, while the regime seeks to reinforce the appeal of its military institutions among young people whose families are facing blackouts, shortages, and an unprecedented exodus.
The Camilo Cienfuegos Military Schools were founded on September 23, 1966, at the initiative of Raúl Castro, who was then the Minister of the Armed Forces, with the aim of training a pool of future officers. Their first location was the former Loyola Military Academy in Punta Brava, Havana.
The admission system requires a minimum average of 85 points in seventh and eighth grades, a medical evaluation, and approval from the Army's Personnel Commission.
The series is part of a broader communication strategy of MINFAR, which in 2026 has intensified its presence on social media with videos of military training and elite troops. This digital offensive has generated both official support and mockery and irony from Cuban users.
At the same time, independent media and human rights organizations have documented a growing militarization of education on the island.
In March 2026, the exercise Bastión Estudiantil Universitario included shooting with AK rifles and mine handling with university students.
Weeks before the release of this series, Special Forces conducted a combat demonstration for children at a primary school in Havana, officially presented as a "sponsorship" activity.
In July, the MINFAR was also highlighted for activities involving minors that opponents classified as abuse, in a context of political indoctrination that extends from primary classrooms to military pre-university institutions.
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