The provincial event marking the 66th anniversary of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) took place this past weekend in Zone 108 of the La Güinera People’s Council, in Havana’s Arroyo Naranjo municipality. The ceremony was dedicated to reaffirming the enduring relevance of the ideas and teachings of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, during the year of his birth centenary.

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According to the Tribuna de La Habana newspaper, the event was presided over by Marydé Fernández López, head of the Office for Attention to the Union of Young Communists and mass organizations; Liván Izquierdo Alonso, First Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee in Havana; Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, Hero of the Republic of Cuba and national coordinator of the CDRs; Yanet Hernández Pérez, the city’s governor; and Eliades Rodríguez Martínez, provincial coordinator of the CDRs.

During the ceremony, several CDR members received the For the Defense of the Homeland and Neighborhood Unity medal, as well as the September 28 distinction, in recognition of their track record and fulfillment of the organization’s tasks.

The “Neighborhood Award” (in spanish Premio del Barrio) was presented to the “Campeón de Cuba” Project group from the Arroyo Naranjo municipality and to the Maritime Construction Company (in spanish Empresa Constructora de Obras Marítimas) from Regla. Additionally, Old Havana received special recognition for fulfilling CDR tasks. Boyeros was declared a municipality that met its goals, Diez de Octubre was designated as “Outstanding,” and Arroyo Naranjo was recognized as a “National Vanguard.”

Buenos días vecino 🌞

🥳Hoy celebramos con orgullo nuestros #66AñosCDR.

¡FELICIDADES CEDERISTAS #Cuba pic.twitter.com/6c857tMbKH

— CDR de Cuba (@cdr_cuba) September 28, 2026

The text reads, “Good morning, neighbor. Today we proudly celebrate our #66AñosCDR. CONGRATULATIONS, CEDERISTAS!”

The Workers’ Central Union of Cuba (CTC), the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), the Revolutionary National Police (PNR), the Maritime Construction Company, and the Provincial Electoral Council presented awards to the CDR Provincial Directorate. In his keynote address, Eliades Rodríguez Martínez conveyed congratulations from Esteban Lazo Hernández—President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State, and deputy for Arroyo Naranjo. He also highlighted the enduring significance of the night of September 28, 1960, the date the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) were founded.

The official noted that CDR members remain committed to defending the Revolution’s achievements; he denounced the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States and warned of threats of military aggression. He added that Havana is marking the anniversary with an organization that has grown stronger and remains dedicated to grassroots work in the neighborhoods.

The event concluded with a call to preserve the unity and enthusiasm that characterized the creation of the CDRs, attended by founding members, officials from Havana’s 15 municipalities, and representatives of the general public.

CDRs: A Neighborhood Legacy

The organization was established as a voluntary, neighborhood-based unit designed to channel the people’s needs and defend the work initiated by the Revolution. Its membership comprises women, men, youth, the elderly, students, workers, farmers, professionals, intellectuals, retirees, and homemakers.

Cuban CDR members gathered to clean up green areas in their community. Photo: CDR

Over time, the initial tasks of revolutionary vigilance were supplemented by other activities of public interest, such as education, voluntary labor, patriotic events, health initiatives (vaccinations and blood drives), the collection of raw materials, environmental protection, and much more. More than six decades have passed, and the history of the Cuban Revolution could not be written without acknowledging the vital work of the CDRs—Cuba’s most dynamic mass organization—which has played an active role over these 66 years in countering plans to dismantle the achievements that have been won.

Young Cuban CDR members donate blood as their contribution to the Revolution. Photo: CDR

The CDRs bring together the vast majority of the Cuban population over the age of 14 who wish to work for the benefit of their community. They are organized throughout the country—in both rural and urban areas—based on where people live: in cities, by city block or apartment building, and in the countryside, based on individual households.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause in their usual activities; however, the CDRs remain vigilant and active—especially now, as the nation has been subjected by the US to a genocidal blockade for 64 years and a total energy embargo tantamount to a naval blockade, acts that constitute an act of war against an independent and sovereign country under international and humanitarian law.

Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, participated in the solidarity event for Cuba titled ‘Voices for Peace: Cuba Is Not a Threat.’ During the event, he extended greetings to the American people and noted that Cuba has faced multidimensional aggression for decades, including… pic.twitter.com/EafUAA4fFb

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 27, 2026

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