Militias

Cuban armed forces of yesteryear

December 4, 2010

Via the Atlantic Monthly, twenty-two years ago: Since 1980 Cuba has become the most thoroughly militarized nation on earth. According to the authoritative London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies, the Cuban regular army numbers 145,000 men, most of them conscripted privates who serve for three years. They are backed up by at least 110,000 ready [...]

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Central Army troops in urban and mountain maneuvers

November 28, 2010

Troops from Cuba’s Central Army conducted maneuvers in the urban areas of Santa Clara. CA troops were comprised of small infantry units, tanks, anti-aircraft defenses, territorial militia troops and production and defense brigades, reported Juventud Rebelde. Also, tactical exercises were staged in the mountainous zone of el Escambray with small mountain infantry units and Territorial Militia Troops [...]

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500 Cuban military advisers in Venezuela

June 15, 2010

Simon Romero of the New York Times reports on Venezuela’s military ties with Cuba: But the quiet expansion of Cuba’s military role here has raised a particular concern among critics of Mr. Chávez, who maintain that the military is being retooled — with Cuba’s help — into an institution that can be used to quell [...]

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End of professional military in Venezuela

June 12, 2010

El Universal‘s interview with Simon Bolivar University graduate professor José Machillanda, who analyzes in his forthcoming book the transformation of a once professional military in Venezuela into a mere armed militia: A professional military at the service of the State for the purposes of defense has turned into an armed militia under a political project. [...]

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Stratfor on the Cubanization of Venezuela’s armed forces

May 22, 2010

[ad#demo-advert] Stratfor issued a special report on Venezuela’s armed forces in early May, whereby the private global intelligence company opines: Controlling Venezuela requires controlling oil and the armed forces, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has managed to do both for more than a decade. Challenges to this control have emerged, however, such as enormous debt [...]

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Cuban delegation attends Russian security exhibition

May 18, 2010

Civil Defense Chief Division General Ramón Pardo Guerra, who arrived in Moscow last Sunday, met with Russian Minister of Emergency Situation Serguei Shoigu and attended today the inauguration ceremony of the  2010 Intergrated Safety and Security Exhibition (ISSE) fair at the All-Russia Exhibition Center in Moscow, reports Cuban state media. Fair exhibits include Fire Protection, Rescue Equipment, Security [...]

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