CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Raul Castro Checks Development of Bastion 2009 Military Drills

CUBA, Nov 27, 2009.- Cuban President Raul Castro checked on Thursday the development of the first day of the Bastion 2009 strategic exercise that is underway until Saturday all across the country.

On Thursday morning, Raul, who is also the President of the National Defense Council, listened to reports by the chiefs of the Eastern, Central and Western Armies regarding the operational situation simulated for this military drills: the period of crisis that precedes a large-scale enemy aggression.

Raul urged everyone to never stop fighting regardless of the situation and he recalled that, when contact with the higher commands is lost, each one – a division general, a sergeant or a soldier - has to become the commander in chief of his or her own mission.

“The goal is to never surrender, never stop fighting,” he said. “And this is not mere
rhetoric. We have proven it throughout our history,” Raul stressed before the high-ranking officials.

He also expressed his satisfaction at the fact that officials like Div. Gen. Onelio
Aguilera Bermudez, current chief of the Eastern Army, is the first graduate from the “Camilo Cienfuegos” military schools to reach such a high responsibility.

The Cuban president and the top military officials discussed different aspects such as the state of health services for the people and preparations to reach – if necessary – higher stages of military readiness for the country’s defense.

Also present in the meeting were First VP Jose Ramon Machado Ventura and Army Corps Generals Julio Casas Regueiro and Abelardo Colome Ibarra, ministers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and of the Interior Ministry, respectively, as well as other high-ranking military officials.

After the exercise, the nation will celebrate the National Defense Day on Sunday with the participation of nearly four million people, who will take part in activities to protect the population and the economy and in the training of reserve units and the Territorial Militias.(Cubaminrex-AIN)

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