The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) of Cuba has decreed armed guard and the declaration as military areas of “zones of agricultural production, construction and assembly investments, and other urban and rural areas.”
According to Resolution 9/2024, published in the Official Gazette number 46 of 2024, this measure is adopted to “increase the security and physical protection” of these areas, considering them of interest for defense.
The regulations mandate the use of weapons, specifically shotguns and weapons with pellet ammunition of different calibers, for the safety and protection of these areas.
In addition, it provides that the heads and directors of the entities responsible for these areas ensure that the personnel in charge of guard and protection have the Second Class license, in accordance with the provisions of Decree-Law 262 ‘On Weapons and Ammunition’, of the November 12, 2008, Article 61.
The resolution also establishes the need to include in the Defense Preparation plan the numerical list of the weapons to be used and their exploitation authorization.
Without specifying details about the areas of military interest to be created, the resolution indicates that chiefs and directors must guarantee armed guards, the delivery and receipt of weapons, as well as the military preparation of personnel. In addition, they are responsible for the rational use of ammunition and its replacement before the Armament Directorate in case of depletion.
These new areas must be marked with signs in Spanish and English with the inscription “DO NOT PASS MILITARY ZONE”, and access to unauthorized persons will be prohibited.
In the same edition of the Gazette, Directive 1 of the National Defense Council introduces modifications to the organizational structures of defense in the provincial and municipal administrations of the People’s Power.
It is established that the independent directorates or departments of Defense in these governments will be assumed by “military personnel on active military service.”
The heads of Defense directorates in the provincial administrations will be approved by the Higher Commission of Staff of the MINFAR, with the consent of the president of the corresponding Defense Council, and presented to the governor for appointment.
This same provision applies to the heads of independent Defense departments in municipal administrations, who will be approved by the army cadre commissions and presented to the Municipal Administration Council for appointment.
The head of the Defense Directorate in each province must hold the rank of colonel or higher, and have a postgraduate level of military preparation in Command and Operational-Strategic or Operational Tactical Staff, as well as a specialty or diploma in Defense and National Security.
To be head of an independent Defense department in the municipality, you must be a first officer, have held command or management positions, and have a level of postgraduate military preparation of I degree of general troops or higher.
The remaining personnel of these units will be selected for their ability to fulfill the obligations and powers according to the mission and functions of the organizational unit.
The military personnel appointed to these positions are militarily subordinated to the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, are placed on special service, and maintain their rights and duties in accordance with current legislation.
MINFAR will be in charge of the necessary assurances to fulfill these functions, including cell phones and means of transportation, managed by the military regions. The allocation of resources for the Tanks and Transportation specialty will be carried out directly by MINFAR, which is also responsible for the execution and control of activity levels related to the allocation of budget, technical means, and the repair of vehicles.
These provisions, although they seem to focus on the security of state resources in the face of increased insecurity on the Island, also suggest a reinforcement of the repressive apparatus in response to the growing popular demonstrations and protests in Cuba.
#Cuba
