Militias and civilians participate in drills across the island to “increase the capacity to respond to US interference and the real possibility of an attack against the country”
14ymedio, Havana, January 11, 2026 — The Cuban government, showing signs of concern over a potential military aggression, used Territorial Defense Day this Saturday to flex its muscles. In addition to the rhetoric of defending “the Homeland” disseminated across all official media outlets, several provinces staged armed response drills involving militia members and civilians, many in street clothes.
In cases like Sancti Spíritus, the exercises generated fear among the population. Residents of the province told 14ymedio that the city “woke up frightened after the gunfire and bombs that were being dropped” from early morning. Adding to the unease, Soviet MiG-15 fighter jets from the Cold War era were seen flying over the area.
Faced with the anxiety and lack of information provided by the authorities, residents began asking what was happening via Facebook. Journalist Elsa Ramos, a columnist for the newspaper Escambray and a critical voice within the government, shed some light on the situation, stating on Radio Sancti Spíritus that combat exercises were being conducted near the city.
Deivy Pérez Martin, president of the Provincial Defense Council, highlighted the importance of these exercises “to achieve the best preparation of the Production and Defense Brigades, in order to have a well-trained people to stop and defeat any attempt by the enemy to take over the nation,” according to Sancti Spíritus’ provincial newspaper.
There was “a compendium of comprehensive actions aimed at raising the preparedness of all components of the province in the face of risk situations”
Another province that carried out these actions was Matanzas. There was “a comprehensive set of actions aimed at increasing the preparedness of all components of the province in the face of situations of risk, threat, or aggression, within the framework of the doctrine of the Guerra de Todo el Pueblo [War of the Entire People],” Girón reported, in a text accompanied by photographs showing smoke after some detonations.
The exercises included combined classes in military units and tactical maneuvers with shooting exercises and practical cases of the air defense units.
In Havana, exercises were also carried out in all 15 of the capital’s municipalities. “During the day, drills, tactical training, and logistical and civil defense support actions were conducted.” Women in civilian clothes and shoes, as well as children, participated.
These scenes were replicated in the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud. There, according to the newspaper Victoria, with triumphalist language, the people demonstrated “their high level of preparedness, patriotism, and unwavering conviction in victory against the threats of the enemy.”
The medium called for “continuing to fight for the defense of the Homeland, sovereignty, solidarity and a better future where unity, equality and social justice prevail, using as a basis the values instilled by our historical leaders,” accompanied by a large number of images showing land and sea exercises.
In Villa Clara, they carried out shooting practice with different weapons, including rifles and artillery.
In Villa Clara, they conducted shooting practice with various weapons, including rifles and artillery. Additionally, the Air Defense Brigade carried out various aircraft and drone detection exercises, “as well as combat drills against them.”
“Given the interference of the United States and the real possibility of an attack against the country, it is essential to increase our response capacity.” This was the prevailing sentiment in Cienfuegos, where they conducted shooting exercises, “field movements, and the testing of transportation and communication systems.” The premise, according to 5 de Septiembre, is that “the neighborhood must be a trench protecting the gains of the Revolution.”
From Holguín, with heavy artillery included in the exercises, they trained “to face situations of risk or threat to internal security, in a scenario of unconventional warfare and enemy invasion.”
The Ciego de Ávila newspaper Invasor reported that these maneuvers were carried out to “pay tribute to the 32 Cubans who lost their lives in the line of duty in recent events” in Venezuela and in response to “the threats and pressure exerted by the United States government against Cuba and other nations in the region.” From some of the trenches, several young men took up arms and practiced shooting.
Finally, in Santiago de Cuba, invoking Fidel Castro and with the slogan that “the best way to avoid war is by preparing ourselves,” it was mostly women who carried out the exercises, which aimed to be ready “for the fulfillment of missions in times of aggression.”
These exercises took place hours before a new threat from US President Donald Trump, who on Sunday issued an explicit warning to the Castro regime: Cuba must “reach a deal” with Washington or face the definitive severing of the economic ties that have sustained the island for decades. The Republican president stated on his social media account, Truth Social, that “there will be no more oil or money for Cuba: zero!”— a direct reference to the flow of crude oil and resources that Venezuela supplied to Havana for years.
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