Julio Casas Regueiro

Hero of the Republic of Cuba, General of Army Corps, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

He was born in Bombí, Mayarí Arriba, was a Cuban military officer, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba. He served in the Movement 26 of July during the Cuban Revolution. General Casas Regueiro was the first vice minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, quickly becoming the second most important man after Raúl Castro. Casas Regueiro was tasked with leading, like other commanders, Cuban soldiers in Ethiopia.

He studied at the Professional School of Commerce of Santiago de Cuba. He joined the revolutionary movement following the 1952 Coup d'État in Cuba, being detained on two occasions. In June 1957 he left his job as a private accountant at a bank in Santiago de Cuba due to the persecution he suffered from the forces of Fulgencio Batista, returning to his parents' farm, where he met members of the Movement 26 of July and collaborated with the development of their activities.

With the creation of the Second Eastern Front "Frank País" in March 1958, he joined the ranks of Commander Raúl Castro. Subsequently, he moved to Column No. 6, participating in multiple combat operations and in the taking of the city of Guantánamo on January 1, 1959.

With the triumph of the Cuban Revolution he commanded the National Revolutionary Police Headquarters, with whose personnel he participated in the defense of Playa Girón. From 1961 he held various logistical positions in the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

He was promoted in 1969 to Vice Minister. He studied at various military schools, including the General Staff Academy of the USSR "Voroshilov". He served as Chief of the Eastern Army, Chief of Anti-Aircraft Defense Troops and Revolutionary Air Force, Deputy Minister for Economic Activity, First Vice Minister and from February 2008 until his death in 2011, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

He fought in the Ogaden War fighting for Ethiopia as Deputy Chief of the Military Mission (Division General Arnaldo Ochoa).

He received various national and international decorations, among which stand out the title of Hero of the Republic of Cuba and the Playa Girón Order which was granted to him on April 16, 2001, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Victory of Playa Girón.

He was a founder of the Communist Party of Cuba and delegate and member of the Central Committee from the First Congress until his death. At the IV Congress he was elected member of the Political Bureau, a condition ratified by the V and VI congresses.

From 1981 he was a Deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba, member of the State Council from 1986 and in 2008 he was elected Vice President of the State Council.

General Julio Casas Regueiro died in Havana, Cuba, on September 3, 2011 as a result of cardiorespiratory arrest. His mortal remains were cremated and were deposited in the Granma Room of MINFAR until their transfer to the Mausoleum of the II Eastern Front Frank País.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 5, the burial ceremony of his mortal remains began. There, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz awaited the family members who brought with them the urn with the ashes of General of Army Corps.

Army Corps Generals Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, Minister of Interior, Leopoldo Cintra Frías, Álvaro López Miera and Joaquín Quintas Solá, Vice Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces performed the last honor guard.

Inhabitants of the II Front, members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, leaders of the Party and Government in the province and municipality, arrived here to, on behalf of the Cuban people, say goodbye to Julio Casas.

"You only had to look him in the eyes to understand what he was feeling. With him there were no set phrases, no pretense, nor was it necessary for him to tell us he loved us because he always knew how to show it. Many times I wondered where he found the time amid so much daily work to keep track of even our smallest details, to find the best moment when we could all be together," his son expressed.