On October 8, 2026, Cuban revolutionary leader Army General Raúl Castro Ruz extended official congratulations in a written letter to the entire community of the University of Medical Sciences of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (UCIMED-FAR), marking the institution’s 45 years of operation and contribution to Cuban national defense and public health.
The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces publicly released the full text of Castro’s letter through its official Facebook page. Per institutional arrangements, Division General Ramón E. Rodríguez Morfa, Chief of the FAR Logistics Directorate, delivered the message in person during a commemorative ceremony hosted at Havana’s Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital.
Opening his message, General Castro extended warm recognition of the institution’s cumulative achievements across its 45-year history. Founded in 1981, UCIMED-FAR was established with the core mandate of training skilled medical professionals to serve both the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and the broader civilian population. Over four decades, the general emphasized, the university has upheld rigorous academic standards to graduate thousands of clinicians and medical specialists, who now deliver critical healthcare services to active military units, run military medical facilities across the country, and extend care to all Cuban citizens.
A key highlight of Castro’s message centered on the institution’s commitment to integrating political and ideological formation with cutting-edge technical and scientific medical training. He noted that this dual focus stands as a lasting tribute to the mambí and rebel doctors who served during Cuba’s wars of independence, where medical professionals risked their own safety to treat wounded troops – and even provided care to enemy combatants, embodying the core values of Cuban medical ethics.
Closing the letter, General Castro reaffirmed that safeguarding Cuba’s national unity and sovereign independence remains the nation’s highest priority in the current global context. He expressed clear pride in UCIMED-FAR’s consistent record of fulfilling all mandates assigned by Cuba’s national leadership and military command, noting the institution’s work remains central to the country’s ongoing national development.
The anniversary ceremony was presided over by top Cuban military leadership, including Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera, who serves as a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Hero of the Republic of Cuba, and Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. He was joined by Army Corps General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, First Deputy Minister of the FAR and Chief of the General Staff.
Beyond the reading of Castro’s congratulations, the event included a series of institutional milestones: commemorative anniversary seals were presented to participating departments, two key medical specializations – Gynecology and Obstetrics, and Toxicology – received official “Excellence” accreditation for their academic and clinical programs, and honorary Doctor Honoris Causa titles were conferred on Doctors of Science José Hernán Salas and Eloy Andrés Frías in recognition of their decades-long contributions to Cuban medical science and education.