The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, described the Fourth National Exercise for the Prevention and Combating of Crime, Corruption, Drugs, Illegal Activities, and Social Indiscipline, which began on Monday in Cuba, as an opportunity to strengthen ourselves and guarantee, in the midst of the complex situation we are experiencing, public tranquility, respect for internal order, stability in the country, social discipline, and, above all, participation in the main tasks we are undertaking. the Fourth National Exercise for the Prevention and Combating of Crime, Corruption, Drugs, Illegal Activities, and Social Indiscipline, which began this Monday in Cuba.
The Head of State insisted on the need to continue increasing levels of cohesion, based on the integration and participation of all forces and the population in this fight, so that we can consolidate and systematize results.
All of this, he said, must be done taking into account the experiences that have already been acquired in previous exercises, and our decision to continue in a frontal battle against crime, corruption, drugs, social indiscipline, as well as negative manifestations and trends in our society, which is one of the four priorities we have defined for the work of the Party.
Referring to the multiple scenarios in which action must be taken, President Díaz-Canel stressed that we must work hard to combat crimes that threaten the integrity of people's lives and the functioning of society.
We must address and counteract the acts of violence that are currently occurring in the country, which are worrying situations due to the level of aggression with which they are carried out and the way in which they develop, he pointed out.
He also listed other issues that must be addressed as a priority, including crimes of violence against women, drugs, as well as robberies, thefts, and others that primarily affect people's stability, life in their homes, and the agricultural and rural sectors.
He placed special emphasis on other actions that undermine social discipline and internal order in the country, including vandalism and the stoning of stores and buses. We cannot allow these acts to continue; we must act decisively and severely punish those who commit them, he said.
With particular regard to crimes against the economy, he noted that several had occurred in the electricity sector and that it was urgent to deal with them more effectively. He gave examples of the theft of electrical cables, mainly from secondary distribution systems; oil from transformers; transformers themselves; and batteries.
In this regard, he drew attention to how the directors of the institutions involved should deal with these incidents: it is not enough to simply report the theft when it is detected, but rather to place greater emphasis on internal prevention measures and combating crime, because administrative leaders are the first ones who must investigate and seek solutions when these incidents occur.
He also stressed the importance of constantly updating and refining response plans in state institutions, which are not to be kept on file, but rather used as working tools that allow for a non-improvised response when incidents occur. He also highlighted the priority with which cases of corruption must be analyzed at all levels.
Among other priority issues, he commented on those associated with proper relations between the state and non-state sectors; tax evasion, which is still high, regardless of the progress made in this regard; and the execution of the state budget throughout the country, because even though it has improved, it is a fact that it needs to continue to be addressed.
At the start of the meeting, Julio César García Rodríguez, head of the Office for Attention to the Organs of the People's Power System, the State, and the Legal Sector of the Party Central Committee, assured that the actions supporting this Exercise, as in the three previous ones, are consistent with what was agreed upon at the 8th Party Congress regarding strengthening the role of the organization, its participation, support, and control in preventing and confronting all phenomena and manifestations that constitute a threat to national security. Party Congress in terms of strengthening the role of the organization, its participation, support, and control in preventing and confronting all phenomena and manifestations that constitute a threat to national security.
As on previous occasions, García Rodríguez confirmed that the main objective of the Fourth National Exercise is to increase the actions of political, social, and mass organizations, state and government bodies, the Ministry of the Interior, communications, and popular control in preventing and confronting criminal activities, antisocial behavior, corruption, drugs, illegalities, social indiscipline, and other harmful phenomena that affect internal security and order.
Among other actions, a rigorous evaluation will be carried out of the fulfillment of the objectives, actions, and goals proposed at previous times.
"In this battle for order, discipline, and control, in the face of a complex international and national scenario, the unity of the revolutionary forces and the ideological conviction that we can win are essential premises," he said.
Also present at the meeting were Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz; Secretary of Organization Roberto Morales Ojeda; Minister of the Interior, Army Corps General Lázaro Álvarez Casas; and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers, José Amado Ricardo Guerra, all members of the Political Bureau; as well as representatives of state bodies and mass organizations of the country. The main authorities of the Party and the Government from all provinces and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud participated via videoconference.
