The former spy and national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, toured neighborhoods in Matanzas on Sunday night to take part in the celebrations for the 66th anniversary of the organization, while the province remained in darkness.
Hernández posted on his Facebook account images from the nighttime event with the text: "We continue to wait for #28DeSeptiembre in Matanzas. Visiting CDRs and tasting caldosas!".
The photographs depict an outdoor gathering in the middle of the street, where a large pot can be seen over hot coals. Neighbors approached, disposable cups in hand, to savor the classic Cederista caldosa. All of this takes place during a blackout.
In one of the official videos from the CDR, a man shouted slogans: "Long live the Cuban Revolution, long live the Party of Cuba. Cuba, Cuba, and Cuba, one and only in the entire world!" The festive scene stood in stark contrast to the reality that millions of Cubans faced that same night, locked in their homes, lacking the spirit to celebrate and also without electricity.
Matanzas was designated as the venue for the national central event of the 66th anniversary for being declared "National Vanguard" in the emulation of the CDR for 2026.
In September 2025, Hernández starred in a similar scene during the 65th anniversary of the CDR in Ciego de Ávila, also amidst a power outage crisis, which drew criticism for displaying propaganda that was disconnected from everyday reality.
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