General Víctor Leonardo Rojo Ramos, leading the Political Directorate of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, declared on Friday that singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez's public demand for an AKM rifle is not a call to arms, but rather a statement of "cultural and political resistance against threats from the United States government."
Rojo Ramos spoke as the main speaker at a ceremony held in the Granma Hall of the Ministry of the FAR, marking National Defense Day. During the event, the regime officially presented Silvio Rodríguez with an actual AKM combat rifle and a symbolic replica of it.
The event was led by Miguel Díaz-Canel, in his role as president of the National Defense Council. The rifle was handed over personally by the Minister of the FAR, General Álvaro López Miera.
Key figures in attendance included the Minister of the Interior, General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas; the First Deputy Minister of the FAR and Chief of the General Staff, General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo; and Rodríguez's wife, flutist Niurka González.
The ceremony was a response to a statement Silvio Rodríguez posted on his blog, Segunda Cita, in an entry titled "Cuba at the Crossroads of Hypocritical Multilateralism."
In his post, the 79-year-old troubadour wrote, "I'm demanding my AKM if they come for us. And let it be known that I am serious." This remark was a direct reaction to threats from President Donald Trump, who recently stated it would be "a great honor" to take Cuba, labeling it a "failed nation."
Understanding the Controversy Around Silvio Rodríguez's AKM Demand
What was the purpose of giving Silvio Rodríguez an AKM rifle?
The Cuban government framed the act as a gesture of cultural and political resistance against perceived threats from the United States, not as a call to war.
Why did Silvio Rodríguez demand an AKM rifle?
Silvio Rodríguez claimed his demand for an AKM was a serious response to President Donald Trump's remarks about taking control of Cuba, which he viewed as a threat.