Republic of Cuba Cuban Military POLITICAL cadre

[drewchaneyau]

G'day Group. I am a worldwide collector of POLITICAL OFFICER CADRE insignia...

Can anyone in the forum please help me to acquire information about the Cuban Political Officers uniform accoutrment, insignia and regalia?

What items of insignia was worn by these chaps to distinguish themsleves as such?

Did they do so?

Did they receive special training?

Where? What was awarded to them for this training?

Did they receive any further political specific awards during their service period or career?

Looking forward to any advice, suggestions and information

Drew

[Guest Rick Research]

You're with us ahead of the curve here.

So far, we are operating with virtually NO documentation on almost any aspect of the current regime.

Check the Cuban Lieutenant General's insignia thread. There is a Soviet-style cap band there that could be anything from Border Guards to Military Procurator to ? Commissars from the Soviet-clone badge.

We still just don't KNOW.

Which is an exciting place to be, collecting things or information. "Noplace to go but up!"

[Taz]

Hello Drew and welcome,

I think it would be safe to say that a Cuban Political Officer would probably be trained at the Ministry of Interior (MININT) Instituto Superior del MININT "Hermanos Mart?nez Tamayo"

(Hermanos Mart?nez Tamayo Higher Institute: Ministry of the Interior) which was founded in 1978-1979.

Not 100% certain of course.

He would then during his service, qualify for the Ministry of the Interior specific awards.

Medalla "Por la Seguridad del Orden Interior" (I) & (II) the three classes of the Distinci?n "Por el Servicio en el Ministerio del Interior" and the Distinci?n "Por el Servicio Distinguido en el Ministerio del Interior

come to mind.

I would think an acadamy badge too.

As Rick states all very new ground we are researching here, his boards in the Lieutenant General's insignia thread, a rank insignia chart and various qualification badges are all we have right now.

Regards Eddie

[drewchaneyau]

Hello Drew and welcome,

I think it would be safe to say that a Cuban Political Officer would probably be trained at the Ministry of Interior (MININT)

Instituto Superior del MININT "Hermanos Mart?nez Tamayo"

(Hermanos Mart?nez Tamayo Higher Institute: Ministry of the Interior) which was founded in 1978-1979.

Not 100% certain of course.

He would then during his service, qualify for the Ministry of the Interior specific awards.

Medalla "Por la Seguridad del Orden Interior" (I) & (II) the three classes of the Distinci?n "Por el Servicio en el Ministerio del Interior" and the Distinci?n "Por el Servicio Distinguido en el Ministerio del Interior

come to mind.

I would think an acadamy badge too.

As Rick states all very new ground we are researching here, his boards in the Lieutenant General's insignia thread, a rank insignia chart and various qualification badges are all we have right now.

Regards Eddie

Thanks Guys........it is indeed a interesting one. My assumptions naturally make me think that with ALL the concerted effort applied by the USA in terms of PSYOPS - both tactical and strategic, the general Political Department within the armed forces would be pretty well entrenched, and Political Cadres located everywhere ensuring that Yankee propaganda was quickly discredited and the virtues of Uncle Fidel and the revolucion quickly entrenched / re-emphasised. My belief is, however, that this socialist state has a different structure to say the likes of North Korea where the military controls the state, and the communsit party is the state etc etc.....it appears possibly that in Cuba, the military knows it's place...perhaps a naive view!

[Taz]

Drew,

That is of course the case in Cuba, every walk of life is controled by Communist Party organizations. Much like the GDR set up, and from a very early age. All schools and Acadamys practice the teaching of Political doctrine. Cuba is, for all intents and purposes the Military.

As recently as 2003 there was a major crackdown on political dissidents. The Cuban government arrested about 80 journalists, activists, and opposition party leaders for supposedly plotting to undermine the government and threaten national security. During closed trials, the dissidents were sentenced to prison terms of varying lengths up to 28 years.

The FAR and the PCC are linked through FAR membership in Communist Party organizations.

Military officials hold office in the Central Committee and the Politburo, and they sit in the Council of Ministers.

The Ministerio del Interior is Cuba's state agency responsible for internal security. Within MININT are a number of paramilitary, military, and intelligence branches:

The Border Guard Troops; the National Revolutionary Police; the Special Troops, which are under Fidel Castro's direct command; the Department of State Security Force, which conducts domestic intelligence; and the Department of General Intelligence, which operates international espionage.

The MININT is responsible for top security and intelligence operations, and its members are assumed to be absolutely loyal to the revolutionary government. Only high-ranking officers are assigned to handle the secretive work characteristic of the MININT.

However, lets get back to the topic, this forum is for the Military collector not Political rights or wrongs.

A Cuban Political Officer following a Military Political career would almost certainly be trained at an Acadamy. And this would most likely be at the MININT Higher Institute. Cuban uniforms in general seem very basic, even the highest ranking officers wear the plain Olive green shirt and trousers, with the usual "Cuban" cap, for everyday use and parade inspection. Probably only the branch insignia, the acadamy badge and a Ministry of the Interior related ribbon bar would seperate him/ her from regular Cuban Army Officer.

As more uniform information comes to light it will be interesting to see just how right or wrong we are but for now only assumtion is possible from the knowledge of other socialist aligned states.

Regards Eddie.