Ramiro Valdes, one of Cuba's last revolutionary leaders, has died at the age of 94. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced Valdes's death in a post on the social media platform X.
Diaz-Canel likened Valdes to a father figure and praised his "exemplary dedication in service to the homeland." In his statement, he said, "Every action in Commander Ramiro's life was marked by his absolute loyalty to the leadership of #Fidel and #Raúl, to his comrades, and to the Moncada Program."
A historic figure of the revolution
Ramiro Valdes was among those who participated with Fidel Castro in the failed 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks. This attack was organized with the aim of overthrowing the then-leader, Fulgencio Batista.
Valdes served as a military leader fighting alongside Argentine Ernesto "Che" Guevara in 1958, before Batista's overthrow. After the revolution, he became a senior member of the Cuban Communist Party and served twice as Minister of the Interior and once as Vice President.
Architect of the intelligence apparatus
During his time in government, he helped establish the famous G2 state security intelligence service, which closely followed Russia's KGB, monitored and suppressed domestic opposition, and also surveilled perceived enemies abroad.
Valdes was, along with the 95-year-old Raul Castro, one of the last surviving leaders of the revolution. He was also a close ally of Fidel Castro, who died in 2016 at the age of 90.
A loss in the shadow of economic reforms
The news of Valdes's death came just days after the Cuban Communist Party approved a series of free-market measures representing the biggest revision of the country's economic strategy since the revolution.
These measures aim to further privatize Cuba's state-controlled economy, create more space for private businesses, imports, and exports without state intermediation, and allow for the free hiring of personnel. The package also permits the establishment of private banks and allows Cubans abroad to invest.
Defending this plan, which was also endorsed by Raul Castro, Diaz-Canel said that both internal obstacles and external pressures are responsible for the difficult economic situation the island nation finds itself in.
