Commander Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, 94, died in Havana this Sunday, Menéndez was a Cuban military and political figure who had been a historical figure of the Cuban Revolution since 1953, has held the honorary rank of Commander of the Revolution since 1976.

Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, deeply regretted the death of Revolution Commander Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, highlighting his lifelong dedication to Cuba and the Revolution. Díaz-Canel remembered Valdés with “respect, affection and gratitude” for his guidance, loyalty and unwavering commitment.

He emphasized his absolute loyalty to Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro and the ideals of the Moncada Program, which he defended since 1953. His death on Father’s Day has caused mourning, but it also reaffirms the legacy of a generation devoted to the Revolution.

Born in La Matilde, Artemisa, then Havana province, Menéndez worked in manual jobs before joining Fidel Castro in 1953 in the assault on the Moncada Barracks. This act marked the beginning of the struggle against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

He was arrested days later and tried by the Emergency Court of Santiago de Cuba, imprisoned in the national prison of Isla de Pinos until he benefited from amnesty in May 1955.

During this year he was again imprisoned for his revolutionary activities until he was able to move to Mexico, where he helped organize and train the expedition, which would disembark in the Oriente province on December 2, 1956.

During the disembarkation he was appointed head of one of the squads and second in command of the Rearguard Platoon led by Raúl Castro, and was subsequently designated second chief of Column No. 8 “Ciro Redondo”, headed by Commander Ernesto Che Guevara and participated with him in the invasion from east to west.

He is one of the three historical leaders of the Cuban Revolution who participated in the three decisive actions in the revolutionary triumph of January 1959: the assault on the Moncada Barracks, the expedition and landing of the yacht Granma and the invasion from east to west.

Menendez received the title of Hero of the Republic of Cuba and the Commemorative Medal 50th Anniversary of July 26 in 2003. In April 2021, it was agreed that Valdés would retire from the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba.

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