Orders, decorations, and medals of Cuba explained

The orders, decorations, and medals of Cuba are orders and medals awarded for exemplary service to the nation of Cuba. The current decoration system has 2 honorary titles, 22 orders, 49 medals, and 35 distinctions.[1]

Honorary titles

class=unsortable width="50px" AwardName Date of creationAward criteria
Hero of the Republic of Cuba
Spanish; Castilian: Héroe de la República de Cuba
10 December 1979"Awarded to members of the Armed Forces and to any Cuban citizen or from friendly countries, for extraordinary merits and feats carried out in the defense of the homeland and the conquests of the Revolution or for exceptional contributions to the cause of socialism and in the struggle against imperialism."
Hero of Labour of the Republic of Cuba
Spanish; Castilian: Héroe del Trabajo de la República de Cuba
10 December 1979"Awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens in recognition of extraordinary merits achieved in productive labour or in struggles for conquests and in defense of the achievements and interests of the working class, as well as for consistent practice and valuable contributions to proletarian internationalism."

Orders

class=unsortable width="50px" AwardName Date of creationAward criteria
Order of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Carlos Manuel de Céspedes
18 April 1926
Order of Carlos J. Finlay
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Carlos J. Finlay
21 January 1928

10 December 1979
"Awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens in recognition of extraordinary merits and valuable contributions to the development of natural or social sciences, scientific or research activities that have contributed exceptionally to the progress of science and for the benefit of humanity, and especially to the preservation and improvement of the health and welfare of the people."

(First class)

(Second class)
Order of Felix Varela
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Felix Varela
10 December 1979"awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens and cultural groups, in recognition of extraordinary contributions made in favor of the enduring values of national and universal culture."
Order of May 17th
Spanish; Castilian: Orden 17 de Mayo
24 May 1989"awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens who have extraordinary merits achieved through important contributions with their efforts to the national economy in the agricultural sector and who have maintained an outstanding work career and an exemplary and consistent attitude with the Revolution."

(First class)

(Second class)

(Third class)
Order of Lazaro Pena
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Lazaro Pena
10 December 1979"awarded to Cuban and foreign workers for extraordinary work merits, for important contributions made to the national economy or for a correct and sustained attitude towards work, whether in industry, agriculture, services, administration, construction, transportation, sciences, arts, culture or technology."
Order of Antonio Maceo
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Antonio Maceo
10 December 1979"awarded to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in active, reserve and retired military service, to military units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, for extraordinary merits in military operations; for high combative qualities, or for the training and preparation of its command staff who have contributed to the defense, development and consolidation of our socialist homeland. It will also be awarded to soldiers and military units of friendly countries for similar reasons."
(First class)(Second class)(Third class)Order of Ernesto Che Guevara
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Ernesto Che Guevara
10 December 1979"awarded in one of its degrees to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in active military service, in reserve and in retirement, who have acquired extraordinary merits in fulfilling internationalist missions for the sake of the independence and sovereignty of the peoples who fight against imperialism., colonialism, neocolonialism and any other form of exploitation. Exceptionally, it can also be awarded to other Cuban citizens and soldiers from friendly countries, who in a show of internationalist solidarity have carried out missions of that nature in an exemplary manner."
Order for Sports Merit
Spanish; Castilian: Orden al Mérito Deportivo
10 December 1979"awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens, in recognition of extraordinary merits achieved in sports or for a relevant and selfless contribution to the development of physical culture and sports. It will also be awarded to technicians, specialists, and entities and organizations, Cuban and foreign, that have contributed in an extraordinary way to the development of physical culture, sports or the improvement of our athletes. It can be awarded posthumously."
Order of Frank País
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Frank País
10 December 1979
(established)27 March 1982 (modified)
"awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens, in recognition of extraordinary merits acquired in education, or who have contributed in a relevant and selfless manner to the comprehensive and educational training of citizens, or who have made valuable contributions to the development of education."
(First class)(Second class)Order of the Liberation War Fighter
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Combatiente de la Guerra de Liberación
"awarded to combatants of fronts, columns or units of the Rebel Army. In exceptional cases it may be awarded to other people who have participated prominently in the insurrectionary struggle. They must have maintained an exemplary attitude consistent with revolutionary principles."
Order for Service to the Homeland in the Revolutionary Armed Forces
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Por el Servicio a la Patria en las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias
13 July 1988"awarded to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in active military service for extraordinary merits acquired during the performance of military service in defense of the socialist homeland and its territorial integrity."

Order of Playa Girón
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Playa Girón
18 July 1961(established)

10 December 1979 (ratified)

"awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens and Heads of State or Government who stand out extraordinarily in the fight against imperialism, colonialism, neocolonialism, racism, fascism and any other form of exploitation; for valuable contributions to the development of the armed forces and their defensive capacity; for great feats in favor of peace and the progress of humanity, as well as for the defense of our Homeland and the conquests of the Revolution."
(First class)(Second class)Order of Maximo Gomez
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Maximo Gomez
10 December 1979"awarded to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in active, reserve and retired military service, and to civilian citizens, for extraordinary merits in the defense of our socialist homeland; for standing out in the direction of large military operations or for having brilliantly directed the fronts or columns of the Rebel Army during the National Liberation War."
(First class)(Second class)Order of June 6
Spanish; Castilian: Orden 6 de Junio
13 July 1988"awarded to active or retired members of the Ministry of the Interior and to units of the Ministry of the Interior for extraordinary merits in the fulfillment of the missions entrusted to them and very relevant successes in the development of their work that have contributed to the maintenance of the state security or internal order."
Order of José Martí
Spanish; Castilian: Orden José Martí
2 December 1972(established)

10 December 1979 (ratified)

"awarded to Cuban and foreign citizens and Heads of State or Government for great feats in favor of peace and humanity; for valuable and extraordinary contributions in education, culture, science and sports, as well as for extraordinary merits and outstanding attitudes in creative work."

Order of Cienfuegos
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Cienfuegos
10 December 1979
Order of Ana Betancourt
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Ana Betancourt
28 November 1974 (established)[2]

10 December 1979 (ratified)[3]

Awarded to women who "demonstrate revolutionary and internationalist merit and anti-imperialist fidelity and/or great merit in a field of work that contributes to the national interest." Originally this was the highest award of the Federation of Cuban Women.[4]

Medals

Civil medals

class=unsortable width="50px" AwardName Date of creationAward criteria
Medal of Friendship
Spanish; Castilian: Medalla de la Amistad

Military medals

class=unsortable width="50px" AwardName Date of creationAward criteria

Spanish; Castilian: Medalla Conmemorativa 50 Aniversario del 26 de Julio
2003

Spanish; Castilian: Medalla Conmemorativa XX Aniversario de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias
23 November 1976

Historic

class=unsortable width="50px" AwardName Date of creationLast awarded


Spanish; Castilian: Medalla de la Victoria
10 June 1922
Order of Naval Merit
Various[5] Order of Military Merit
Spanish; Castilian: Orden Merito Militar
27 February 1912

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Condecoraciones otorgadas por el Estado Cubano. Presidencia y Gobierno de la República de Cuba. es. 27 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210812063620/https://www.presidencia.gob.cu/es/presidencia/condecoraciones/. 12 August 2021. live.
  2. Web site: Efemérides de hoy 28 de noviembre . Islavisión . Telecentro Islavisión . 6 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131203816/https://www.islavision.icrt.cu/efemerides-de-hoy-28-de-noviembre/ . 31 January 2023 . Isla de la Juventud, Cuba . Spanish . Today's Anniversaries, November 28 . 28 November 2022 . live.
  3. Book: Sainty . Guy Stair . Heydel-Mankoo . Rafal . World Orders of Knighthood & Merit . 2006 . 1 . Burke's Peerage & Gentry . Wilmington, Delaware . 978-0-9711966-7-4 . 1072.
  4. Book: Janda, Margaret Randall with photographs by Judy . Women in Cuba : twenty years later . Smyrna Press . 1981 . 0918266149 . New York . 56.
  5. Web site: Cuba - Order of Military Merit (Merito Militar) . 2023-12-24 . www.medalnet.net.