At 94 years of age, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez—one of the last remaining historical commanders of the Cuban Revolution and a key architect of Castro's repressive machinery—passed away on Sunday.
While the Cuban regime bid him farewell with formal honors, his death has reignited controversy surrounding a confession he made in 2018. Valdés proudly recounted acts of sabotage against electrical lines and defacing Batista's billboards with tar, the very acts for which the Cuban government now imprisons its citizens for decades.
This contradiction is highlighted by an interview Valdés granted to official journalist Arleen Rodríguez Derivet in 2018.
In this revealing interview, Valdés described his sabotage efforts against Batista's dictatorship with a pride that today seems strikingly candid.
"Ciro, Julio, and I would go out in Ciro's car to conduct sabotage, not in Artemisa. In Artemisa, all we did was throw tar on a large Batista billboard to mar his image," recounted Valdés, who would later become the founder and first head of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).
His activities extended beyond billboards. Valdés also elaborated on throwing chains over electrical lines to cause blackouts: "Ciro, Julio, and I went to carry out some sabotage by throwing chains and things on the lines. Outside of Artemisa; in Caimito, in Guanajay, Bauta..."
It was Fidel Castro himself who instructed him to stop—not for ethical reasons, but for strategic ones. According to Valdés, Castro advised him: "Stay out of politics, don't do sabotage... Go unnoticed so that... We're already recruiting... You'll be working for the armed struggle."
Miguel Díaz-Canel announced Valdés's death, praising his historical contributions, while state media outlets Granma and Prensa Latina shared institutional condolences.
Just 15 days earlier, on June 6, Díaz-Canel had paid him an emotional tribute—his voice breaking—during the 65th anniversary celebration of the MININT at the Karl Marx Theater. Valdés had been absent from the public eye since September 2025.
His last verifiable appearance was in Sancti Spíritus, where he inaugurated a photovoltaic solar park. His prolonged absence fueled rumors about his health for months without any explanation from the regime.
The same regime that once celebrated Valdés's sabotage as revolutionary heroism has sentenced Cubans to up to 25 years in prison for similar acts following the July 11, 2021 protests.
That same year, Valdés decorated individuals accused of suppressing protests in Palma Soriano and was confronted by demonstrators calling him a "murderer" in Santiago de Cuba.
For decades, Valdés was the most feared figure within Cuba's security apparatus. He founded the MININT in 1961, established the Department of State Security and the General Directorate of Intelligence, and led the crackdown on internal opposition during his two terms as Minister of the Interior from 1961-1968 and 1979-1985.
He was the last of the revolution's historical figures to hold simultaneous positions in the Communist Party's Political Bureau and the Councils of State and Ministers until his death.
Cubans have reacted to the news with a division that mirrors the island's two irreconcilable memories: the regime's, which honors him as a hero, and those who remember him as the mastermind behind decades of repression.
Controversial Legacy of Ramiro Valdés
What were Ramiro Valdés's acts of sabotage?
Ramiro Valdés engaged in acts of sabotage against Batista's regime, which included defacing billboards with tar and throwing chains over electrical lines to cause blackouts.
Why is Valdés considered a controversial figure?
Valdés is a controversial figure due to his role in establishing Cuba's repressive security apparatus and his involvement in acts of sabotage that are now criminalized by the government he helped build.
How did the Cuban regime react to Valdés's death?
The Cuban regime honored Valdés with institutional tributes, highlighting his historical contributions despite the controversy surrounding his past actions.