Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Cuba’s former interior minister, has died, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed Sunday on his X account.
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In a thread posted on the platform, Díaz-Canel highlighted Valdés Menéndez’s career within the Cuban Revolution and mourned his death.
“The passing of Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez hurts deeply, like the loss of a father,” he wrote.
Rep. María Elvira Salazar was the first Florida member of Congress to react Sunday to the announcement of the death of Cuba’s former interior minister, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez.
In a statement posted on X, Salazar wrote that the former commander of the Revolution is “another one who dies without being able to pay on this earth for all the harm he caused.”
“Ramiro Valdés, better known as ‘Puddle of Blood,’ I’m sure he’s already in hell alongside Fidel and all the tyrants who pushed the Cuban people into misery, death, and exile,” she added.
Finally, she said his story will be remembered “as one of repression, blood, and suffering,” and that “the pain they caused the Cuban people must never be forgotten.”
Also on X, Rep. Carlos Giménez reacted, writing: “It’s a shame that the henchman Ramiro Valdés died without ever having to face justice for the countless crimes against humanity, torture, and atrocities he committed against the Cuban people.”
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Díaz-Canel added that he will always remember “his support and advice, his discreet collaboration, and his exemplary dedication in service to the Homeland.”
The announcement was also broadcast by Cuban state television, where he was described as a “hero of the Republic.” The network also said it would provide more information in the coming hours.
Minutes after Díaz-Canel’s post, Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior (Minint) shared a message about the former official’s death.
According to Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power, Valdés Menéndez took part in the 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks, joined the Granma yacht expedition, and fought in the Rebel Army before the Revolution’s victory in 1959.
Over the course of his career, he held several of the Cuban government’s most important posts, including minister of the interior, minister of informatics and communications, vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, and deputy prime minister.
This story was translated from Spanish with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An NBC6 digital editor reviewed the translation.
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