The Cuban Revolution has lost another of its great figures.

Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, who accompanied Fidel Castro since the assault on the Moncada Barracks in 1953 and fought in the Sierra Maestra, died this Sunday at the age of 94.

The announcement was made by the president of the country, Miguel Díaz-Canel, who in a message on

“The physical departure of the commander of the Revolution, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, hurts me deeply, like that of a father,” added the president.

For its part, the official newspaper Granma did not hesitate to describe the late leader as a “hero” of the island and “deserving of the respect and admiration of the people of Cuba for his dedication and proven loyalty to the revolutionary cause.”

However, for Cuban dissidents and opponents, as well as for human rights activists, Valdés was the architect of the repressive system and police and social control installed in the country.

The father of G2

Born on April 28, 1932 in Artemisa, Valdés participated in the assault on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953, as well as in the failed Granma yacht expedition and fought alongside Ernesto “Che” Guevara against the government of Fulgencio Batista.

After the triumph of 1959, he occupied the Ministry of the Interior, founded the Department of State Security and the General Directorate of Intelligence, and maintained close ties with the KGB, the feared secret services of the former Soviet Union, recalled the digital medium Cibercuba.

Unlike other historical leaders who developed mainly administrative or partisan functions, Valdés built a good part of his political weight from the security and intelligence agencies. His career was linked for years to the institutions in charge of confronting internal and external threats, which gave him a unique position within the Cuban power structure.

Valdés is considered the father of G2, the island's feared intelligence services.

In 2021, he participated in an event to decorate the police officers who participated in the wave of citizen protests that took place on the island that year.

In addition to the Ministry of the Interior, which he headed twice (1961-1968 and 1979-1985), he was also vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, minister of Information Technology and Communications, and founding member of the Central Committee and the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba.

In recent years, his appearances had become less and less frequent, leading to speculation about his health, and in January and February 2026 unofficial reports of his hospitalization circulated.

With his death, the generation of leaders originating from the Cuban Revolution is reduced to two figures: Raúl Castro, 95 years old, and Guillermo García Frías.

Valdés' death occurs days after the Cuban government announced a series of economic reforms with which it tries to overcome the serious economic and energy crisis it is going through, which has been aggravated by the tightening of United States sanctions.