Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR)

The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Ministerio de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias—MINFAR) commands the FAR. As president of the Council of State and Council of Ministers, General Fidel Castro Ruz had been commander in chief of the FAR, until July 31, 2006, when, for health reasons, he provisionally transferred these functions to his brother, Raúl Castro Ruz, who was also minister for the FAR and chief of the Joint General Staff. General Raul Castro replaced his brother Fidel Castro as chief of state, president of Cuba, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces on February 24, 2008. At that time, Raul loyalist Corps Geneneral Leopoldo Cintra Frias was promoted to minister for the FAR.

MINFAR is located in Havana. Its national bureaucratic structure is headed by Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and has three principal groupings: the Office of the Ministry and the units that report directly to it; the General Staff and its components; and seven national commands whose chiefs are usually Deputy Ministers. The major troop command organizations — the Isle of Youth Military Region, the Western, Central and Eastern Armies — are directly subordinate to the First Deputy Minister, Chief of the General Staff. In addition to its own forces, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces has jurisdiction over the organization, weapons and combat training and, in emergency situations, over deployment of military units in MININT. Both MINFAR's Civil Defense and MININT have military and nonmilitary units. In April 1972, the Navy and DAAFAR were separated from the Army and their respective chiefs were elevated to the positions of deputy ministers. The army, navy, and air force each have a general staff under the control of the Joint General Staff.

The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) directs, executes and controls the preparation of the country for the defense; the national defense; the preparation and accomplishment of the armed warfare and the supplying with material military. It is the organization in charge of directing, executing and controling the application of the policy of the State and the Government as far as the preparation of the country for the defense; the defense of the sovereignty of the State mainly the national territory, including the territorial sea and the airspace that on these extends; the preparation and accomplishment of the armed warfare; and the hiring, acquisition, production and use of the material military that satisfies the necessities with the defense. It fulfills those obligations with the economic participation of the other organs and state organisms, organizations, social institutions and the citizens.

The Ministry of Interior is the principal entity of state security and control. Officers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), have been assigned to the majority of key positions in the Ministry of Interior. Civilian authorities control the security forces through the Ministry of Interior. However, most key positions in the ministry are held by officers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. The security forces include the 20,000-member Department of State Security (Departamento de Seguridad del Estado—DSE), the Border Guard Troops (Tropas de Guardafronteras—TGF), and the 15,000-member National Revolutionary Police (Policía Nacional Revolucionaria—PRN).