The National Association of Italy-Cuba Friendship (Anaic) expressed its condolences to the people and government of the island for the passing of Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés, an exemplary patriot, according to a statement released today.

“Hero of the Republic of Cuba and faithful comrade in struggle of Che Guevara, Fidel, and Raúl Castro, Commander Valdés embodies the example of a life entirely dedicated to the service of social justice, anti-imperialism, and the self-determination of peoples,” the note from the Italian solidarity organization states.

Ramiro Valdés, who was born on April 28, 1932, in Artemisa, always maintained an unwavering position in the service of his people and the Revolution, as a Moncada barracks assailant, a Granma expeditionary, and a fighter in the Sierra Maestra, where he demonstrated qualities as a military leader and commander.

He carried out important tasks after the 1959 triumph, including serving as head of the State Security organs, Minister of the Interior, First Vice Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and Minister of Informatics and Communications. He also served as Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers, and as Vice Prime Minister — a position he held at the time of his death.

He was also a founding member of the Communist Party of Cuba's Central Committee and its Political Bureau, as well as a deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power.

The text recalls his presence, alongside representatives of Anaic, at the ceremony held on December 2, 2023, to deposit the ashes of Italian partisan Gino Doné — the only European participant in the Granma yacht expedition — in the Pantheon of Veterans at Havana's Colón Cemetery.

In the condolence message, extended also to the Communist Party of Cuba, Anaic highlighted Commander Ramiro Valdés's "firmness, discipline, and contribution to the construction of the Cuban state," noting that these "will continue to be a reference for future generations."

"Until victory always, Ramiro!" Anaic expresses in the final part of its statement, as a posthumous farewell to the heroic Cuban revolutionary.