Ministry of the Interior (Cuba)
The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Cuba, also known as MININT, is the Cuban government ministry which oversees the home affairs of Cuba. Its headquarter is in a building of Plaza de la Revolución, a central and famous square of Havana.
History
It was founded on June 6, 1961, replacing and expanding the old Ministry of the Interior, inherited by the Cuban Revolution from the previous governments.Functions
The organs and structures that are part of the Minister fulfill functions of citizen security, and the establishment of the internal order. The MININT also includes various logistics agencies, force preparation, etc. In addition, it has commercial companies that provide security services as SEPSA, which include chain stores selling to the population.The Ministry oversees the functions of security and public order through the National Revolutionary Police Force and the auxiliary body of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.
The MININT has its own teaching system, with several national schools and schools in the provinces. In Havana, it has a polytechnic institute, for the training of media technicians in specialties related to criminal and police investigation lines.
Structure
The following structure is in place with MININT as of 2021:- National Revolutionary Police Force
- Dirección de Inteligencia
- Special National Brigade
- State Security Department
- Technical Directorate of Investigations
- Directorate of Border Guard Troops
- Cuban Fire Department
- Directorate of Personal Security
- Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Operations
- Directorate of Penitentiary Establishments
- Directorate of Attention to Minors
- Directorate of Identification, Immigration and Aliens
Special National Brigade
The Special National Brigade, also referred to as the Black Berets or SNB, is a special forces brigade run by the Cuban Ministry of the Interior. It performs missions that deal with riot control, hostage rescue, and counterterrorism. The SNB was deployed in response to prodemocracy protests that began on July 11, 2021. The United States government sanctioned them because of human rights concerns related to mass arrests and physical violence used against the protesters, which the Cuban government opposes. The Black Berets celebrated the fortieth anniversary of its founding on August 9, 2020.As of April 4, 2022, the Special National Brigade is led by Brigadier General Noaldo Arcas Rodríguez. The Black Berets have trained with China's People’s Armed Police, who trained them in hand-to-hand combat, hostage rescue, tactical shooting, and handling large riots.