Miguel Díaz-Canel's Military Display in Tamarindo: "Every Cuban Must Have a Means and Place for Defense"

This past Saturday, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel made a striking appearance donning an olive-green uniform and a stern expression, with a vintage rifle nearby, during a military event held in Tamarindo, Diez de Octubre municipality. This was part of the nation’s third “National Defense Day” of the month.

The scene, reminiscent of an '80s film rather than a country in turmoil, aimed—according to the Presidency—to enhance public preparedness under the “War of the Entire People” concept.

Surrounded by army corps generals, ministers from the Interior and Armed Forces, and a small group of handpicked locals, Díaz-Canel sought to project strength in response to what he described as the “growing aggression of imperialism.”

However, the event resembled more of an outdated weapons fair than a tactical exercise: half-century-old AKM rifles, trench warfare-era gas masks, and a few makeshift tents set the stage for the Communist Party's latest "war briefing."

“Every Cuban must have a means, a place, and a way to defend,” declared the field marshal and first secretary of the PCC, as attendees—many looking like civilians out for a leisurely Sunday—held "means" that would barely withstand a gust of wind.

Official media outlets, nonetheless, portrayed the activity as a demonstration of “revolutionary unity” and “combat readiness against any foreign aggression.”

Dubbed the “field marshal of Tamarindo” by social media users, Díaz-Canel did not appear particularly enthusiastic: official photos captured him looking serious, almost detached, while listening to explanations about weaponry that seemed more suited for a museum exhibit.

Meanwhile, the military hierarchy around him maintained disciplined smiles, perhaps aware that the real battles faced by the country are not fought with rifles, but rather with power outages, shortages, and public frustration.

Simultaneously, as Cuba flaunts symbolic exercises, the United States continues to enhance its technological and strategic presence in the Caribbean, bolstering its air and naval forces following the apprehension of Nicolás Maduro.

The contrast couldn't be starker: on one side, drones, satellites, and aircraft carriers; on the other, recycled speeches and militiamen with wooden rifles.

With this latest “popular defense” day, the regime attempts to project control and unity. However, what unfolded in Tamarindo was something else: a display of waning power, a ritual increasingly devoid of substance where the imagined enemy once again serves to distract from the very real hunger and monotony of yet another weekend of power outages.