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Cuban CDR, Still Necessary

However, the Cuban people, guided by the top national leaders, faced up to all these menace, following the Jose Marti’s phrase: “Con todos y para el bien de todos” (With All and for the Good of All).

On September 28, 1960, the then Prime Minister Fidel Castro Ruz announced, before a great mass in the outskirts of the former Presidential Palace, the creation of the CDR, whose essence was that of establishing a system of popular vigilance to face the terrorist attacks menacing the country.

However, as Fidel Castro once said, the CDR showed the people’s efficiency not only in the struggle against the enemy, but also in all the Revolution fronts.

Thus, during the last 50 years, the CDR’s responsibility is that of drawing together and mobilizing the people to carry out crucial economic, political and social tasks. Some of them are the blood donations, the collection raw materials, the epidemiological campaign, etc.

At present, in line with the changes Cuba is going through, The Committees for the Defence of the Revolution are seeing some structural transformations. For example, some 27 professional cadres have been removed, the CDR leaders have greater contact with the grass-root organizations, and the direction organs are working together as a team.

Nowadays, the CDR needs to revive their membership, especially with the younger generation. That’s why they are working on the implementation of new and modern ways to reach the youth, so that they feel identified with the organization.

Incidentally, most of the new leaders of the organization are young, as a result of the renovation process underway.

The concept of CDR vigilance is also being remodelled, taking into account the current needs. For example, in the coastal zones, the CDR vigilance is crucial since they support the work of the coast guards to protect the island from drug trafficking and illegal migration. 

It is true that the initial concept of the CDR vigilance does not match the current state of affairs. However, the population must continue to fight anti-social behaviour. That’s why they are still so necessary.

Translation by ESTI

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