Cuba's civil militarization to be reviewed by Inter-American Commission

Human‑rights NGO Cubalex will present a report to the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) on 4 August, documenting a rapid rise in the militarization of everyday life in Cuba. The report records more than 215 verified incidents between February and late July 2026, including police and military deployments after power‑outage protests, travel restrictions between provinces, freezing of bank accounts, compulsory military training in schools and universities, the trial of a civilian for a satirical video, and death threats against political prisoners. Cubalex says the pattern intensified after the Cuban government approved measures to shift to a "state of war" in January, with incidents climbing from ten in February to 54 in June and 39 in the first three weeks of July. The CIDH session, part of its 196th period of sessions, will stream the hearing live.

Cubalex urges Cubans to report any comparable militarization actions through its secure channels, noting that the National Defense Council now directs transport, fuel, resource distribution and public order decisions, effectively expanding the Ministry of the Interior’s repressive capacity.