On Friday, the Cuban regime marked National Defense Day in Jibacoa, located in the Manicaragua municipality of Villa Clara, by conducting tactical exercises that featured oxen and donkeys hauling weapons and ammunition. This spectacle prompted a wave of ridicule and criticism on social media.
According to the state-run newspaper Granma, the exercises involved a basic anti-aircraft defense ambush and the interception of a boat posing as an enemy vessel.
The Facebook page "Soy Villa Clara" shared videos showing the oxen attempting to flee as gunfire erupted nearby, sparking numerous jokes and jests. "Good strategy, fire once, the oxen bolt, and the Yankee planes won't detect them," quipped a young expatriate.
"Those oxen wanted to take off like Santa's reindeer," remarked a resident from Sancti Spíritus. "They better have good aim with those oxen on the move," added another user.
"Good thing the oxen were tied to that old cannon, or they'd be gone for good," commented a Havana local. A teacher chimed in, "The oxen almost took flight."
Attempts at Showcasing Defense Capabilities Backfire
Authorities intended to showcase these maneuvers as a testament to the nation's defensive capabilities. However, the visuals had the opposite effect on Cubans who followed the event online. "Let the Americans see this high-tech weapon transport with oxen. They surely don't have that," one internet user joked.
Critics were not amused. "What nonsense, with all the hunger and need, for this stupidity," slammed a glassmaker. "What a crowd of people not working, not producing anything. Get to work and stop this nonsense," criticized a Santa Clara resident.
"You really have no self-respect. Displaying all this nonsense internationally, to prove what?" questioned a Cuban living in Ecuador.
Military's Reliance on Animal Power Highlights Resource Constraints
The event was overseen by Army Corps General Joaquín Quintas Solá, Deputy Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), along with Brigadier General Israel Cubertier Valdés, head of the Military Region, and Susely Morfa González, President of the Provincial Defense Council and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in Villa Clara.
The sight of soldiers using animal power to transport military equipment did not surprise those familiar with the military preparations of recent months. In February, ox teams were documented blocking roads during similar maneuvers, a tactic the regime justifies as part of its "war of the entire people" doctrine.
This use of draft animals underscores the precarious state of Cuba's military equipment. Reports indicate that Cuba has not purchased foreign weaponry since 1991, leaving its armed forces with an outdated arsenal and no real prospects for modernization.
Militarization of civilian life is not a new phenomenon, either. Since the beginning of the year, Saturdays have been dedicated to weekly military exercises nationwide, a measure the regime claims strengthens national defense against what it labels as external threats.
Energy Crisis Adds to Public Frustration
The context of these exercises is particularly striking. Villa Clara is one of the provinces hardest hit by the energy crisis, having only recently regained a quarter of its electricity supply after months of extended blackouts that severely impact daily life for its residents.
Understanding Cuba's Military Exercises and Public Response
What prompted mockery during the Cuban military exercises?
The use of oxen and donkeys to haul military equipment during the exercises led to widespread ridicule and jokes on social media, as it highlighted the outdated nature of Cuba's military resources.
How did the Cuban government justify the use of animals in military exercises?
The Cuban regime defended the use of animal power as part of their "war of the entire people" doctrine, a strategy to involve all available resources in national defense.
What is the current state of Cuba's military equipment?
Cuba's military equipment is largely outdated, with no foreign arms purchases made since 1991, leaving its armed forces with diminished modernization prospects.