Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez Dies at 94

June 21, 2026

Cuba is mourning the death of Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, who passed away on Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Havana at the age of 94. The news was confirmed by Cuban state media Cubadebate and mourned by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who noted that the loss of Commander Ramiro cast a shadow over Father's Day.

Born on April 28, 1932, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez devoted his entire life to the Cuban Revolution. At 21, he took part in the assault on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953, where he was wounded and later captured. After serving his sentence at the Isle of Pines prison, he was released under a general amnesty in May 1955.

He was among the 82 expeditionaries aboard the yacht Granma who landed in Cuba on December 2, 1956, to resume the armed struggle. During the guerrilla war in the Sierra Maestra, he was appointed second-in-command of Invasion Column 8 "Ciro Redondo," led by Commander Ernesto Che Guevara, participating in the westward march and the pivotal Battle of Santa Clara — the final battle before the triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959.

After the revolutionary victory, Valdés Menéndez was one of the founders of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) in 1961, an institution he led on two separate occasions. He also served as First Deputy Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), Minister of Information Technology and Communications, and Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers, overseeing the construction, basic industry, and energy sectors.

The Cuban state awarded him the titles of Hero of the Republic of Cuba and Hero of Labor, along with the rank of Comandante, in recognition of a lifetime of unwavering service to the Revolution. He was a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba and a Deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power.

President Díaz-Canel expressed his grief: "Every act of Commander Ramiro's life was marked by absolute loyalty to the leadership of Fidel and Raúl, to his fellow fighters and to the Moncada Program... this Father's Day is clouded by the sorrow of his passing."

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