On Sunday, Raúl Castro sent a letter to members of the Military Counterintelligence (CIM) of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, congratulating them on the 64th anniversary of their founding, as reported by the official Granma newspaper. The letter was also broadcast by Cuban Television.
The letter, signed "Army General Raúl Castro Ruz," commends the institution's members using the regime's characteristic language: "Loyalty, courage, and modesty are traits that define the members of this important body, who face the challenges imposed by the aggressive policies of our main adversary with professionalism."
The message urges them to be "steadfast defenders, at any cost, of the achievements attained by our country," concluding with the slogan, "Until victory, always!"
Raúl's written intervention carries significant political weight given his near-total withdrawal from public life. At 95, the last surviving member of the generation that seized power in 1959 did not attend the PCC's IX Congress in March 2026 nor was he present at the central event on July 26, where Díaz-Canel read a message signed by him, marking an unprecedented absence in at least three decades.
His appearances have been reduced to letters and messages disseminated by others or state television, making each appearance—even if only in writing—a political event that the regime uses to signal continuity.
In 2026, Raúl briefly reappeared alongside Díaz-Canel at the 65th anniversary of the MININT's Personal Security Directorate, after months of rumors regarding his health. He also led the honor guard for Ramiro Valdés in June and attended the centennial of dictator Fidel Castro in August, always seated in the front row but without delivering any speeches.
Historical Role of the CIM
The CIM was established on November 7, 1962, by Raúl Castro himself, then Minister of the FAR, through Order No. 07, just weeks after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Since its inception, the institution has functioned as a political control mechanism within the armed forces, tasked with detecting and neutralizing any dissent or disloyalty among the ranks.
Subordinate to the CIM are the Prevention Troops, known as "red berets," created in 1981 also under Raúl Castro's orders. In August 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned them under the Global Magnitsky Act for their role in repressing the July 11 protests of that year.
Human rights organizations have documented that the CIM operates in coordination with State Security and the MININT in surveillance operations, house arrests, and arbitrary detentions against activists, journalists, and dissidents.
In October 2026, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights recorded 387 repressive actions, including 30 arbitrary detentions and 145 surveillance operations or blockades in front of dissidents' homes.
Government Unity and Legacy Concerns
A day before Raúl's letter, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz also congratulated the CIM, praising their "absolute loyalty" to the FAR and the Revolution, accompanied by a video of Fidel Castro discussing the organization's operations.
Raúl's congratulations to the CIM—a body he founded that has safeguarded political fidelity within the FAR for over six decades—aim to reinforce his dwindling role as a symbolic guarantor of the system during the twilight of the historical generation of Castroism, accelerated by the passing of figures like Ramiro Valdés.
Key Questions About Military Counterintelligence in Cuba
What is the role of the CIM in Cuba?
The Military Counterintelligence (CIM) acts as a political control mechanism within Cuba's armed forces, tasked with identifying and neutralizing dissent or disloyalty among military personnel.
Why was the CIM sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department?
The CIM was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act by the U.S. Treasury Department for their involvement in suppressing the protests that occurred in Cuba on July 11, 2021.