Drone with Loudspeakers: Cuban Regime Boasts About Its "New" Rain Alert Technology

This past weekend, Cuba's Civil Defense showcased the use of a drone equipped with loudspeakers as part of their national exercise, Meteoro 2025. This maneuver aimed to simulate alerts for heavy rainfall. In a video shared on their official Facebook page, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is seen flying over an area, broadcasting the following message: “Attention, heavy rain is forecasted, seek shelter in safe areas.” The demonstration took place at the National Civil Defense Headquarters and is meant to enhance the timely warning systems available to the public, according to authorities.

Historian and researcher Luis Enrique Ramos Nuevas praised on Facebook the "incorporation" of drones into Cuba's alert systems. “Here, an application of UAVs to transmit a warning for heavy rains, combining a recorded message broadcast through a loudspeaker on board a UAV. Congratulations to our Civil Defense,” he commented, applauding what he described as a technological advancement in the Meteoro 2025 exercises.

Unanswered Questions about Drone Technology

Despite the technological show, the Civil Defense did not provide concrete details in their brief social media message about the supposed incorporation of drones into their alert systems. It remains unclear how, when, or in what contexts this resource would be used: whether it would be designated for remote areas, function as a backup during prolonged blackouts, replace traditional channels like radio, or be employed after an extreme event such as a hurricane to deliver direct information to the public. The lack of clarity raises more questions than answers about the real reach of this "new" technology.

As part of the same Meteoro 2025 exercise, the regime unveiled another so-called "technological advancement": a drone designed to combat fires. This demonstration occurred on Saturday during the military and civil defense maneuvers, where the Cuban government showcased the equipment as part of its disaster response strategy. However, beyond the presentation, no technical details were provided about its operability, range, autonomy, or real effectiveness in open fire conditions, leaving doubts about whether it is a functional tool or merely a propaganda display.

Reality Check: A Community Left Uninformed

Although the Meteoro 2025 exercise featured the regime boasting about using drones to alert the population about natural phenomena like heavy rains or fires, the reality is quite different. Less than a year ago, residents of Baracoa faced the onslaught of Hurricane Oscar without timely warnings or clear information from the authorities. Esteban Romero, like many others in Baracoa, was in grave danger due to the lack of awareness about the approaching cyclone, which later downgraded to a tropical storm. Although his family didn't suffer any human losses, they witnessed the wind and rain's devastation on much of their livelihood and property.

Romero's family contacted CiberCuba to share their story and expose the falsehoods of the Cuban regime, which claimed to be prepared to face the cyclone and to have supported the people throughout. Videos sent to the newsroom were recorded six days after the cyclone's passage, but due to difficulties in restoring electrical service and constant blackouts, they were disseminated several days later. Romero recounted living in El Güirito, within the El Jamal People's Council in Baracoa, where he was—at least before the hurricane—a prominent producer of coconuts and tubers. He expressed his frustration, saying, “No one informed us about this phenomenon. It was said to be a tropical storm, and that's something we consider normal here. However, when the phenomenon formed, and until now, no one has come to see what happened,” reflecting the discontent of those who felt abandoned by the authorities after the hurricane.