Cuba stages civil-military preparedness exercises as island grapples with US pressure

Record ID: 2370733

  • Title: Cuba stages civil-military preparedness exercises as island grapples with US pressure
  • Date: 27th March 2026
  • Summary: KYOTO, JAPAN (MARCH 28, 2026) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF CAST AND CREW OF “THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE": (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) PRODUCER CHRIS MELEDANDRI, “BOWSER” ACTOR JACK BLACK, “BOWSER JR.” ACTOR BENNY SAFDIE, “YOSHI” ACTOR DONALD GLOVER, “MARIO” ACTOR CHRIS PRATT, “PRINCESS PEACH” ACTOR ANYA TAYLOR-JOY, “LUIGI” ACTOR CHARLIE DAY, “T
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Cuba Defense strategy Diaz-Canel Militia
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001812027032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel presided over Defence Day exercises on Friday (March 27), donning a military uniform to oversee training drills and attend National Defence Council meetings in Havana, as the island held one of its periodic civil-military preparedness exercises amid a deepening economic crisis.
    Students and military personnel took part in training exercises at a sports field in Havana, practising rifle assembly, gas-mask drills, and other defence procedures, while local defence zone commanders presented their operational plans to senior leadership for review.
    The exercises came days after Diaz-Canel told a group of foreign activists in Havana that Cuba was preparing for a possible U.S. aggression. Speaking at a solidarity event, he said the country had launched a defence preparedness plan based on the concept of a "war of all the people," which he described as a defensive, not aggressive, approach.
    Defence Days are a longstanding feature of Cuba's national security doctrine, designed to prepare state institutions, economic entities, mass organizations, and the general population for exceptional circumstances, including military contingencies and natural disasters. Several such exercises are held each year, including two of national scope.
    The exercises took place as Cuba faces one of its worst economic crises in decades, marked by U.S. increased pressure, provoking severe fuel shortages, prolonged power outages, and widespread food scarcity. Municipal Defence Council president Maykel Perez Valdes said authorities were prioritizing food production, including the restoration of urban vegetable gardens, and the distribution of productive land to state bodies and private individuals.
    Amaury Gomez, head of the Antonio Guiteras defence zone in east Havana, said the first phase of preparations had been completed and that leadership teams would now work to refine their plans ahead of upcoming military exercises, incorporating recommendations received during the day's review sessions.
    (Production: Anett Rios, Norlys Perez, Hugo Monnet)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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