Medal "Internationalist Combatant".

[Taz]

There is very little info and pics availiable at the moment on Cuban awards but this medal was undoubtably awarded to the Cuban Soldiers who served in Africa for example. The award critaria was most likely similar to that of it's Soviet counterpart.

The pics are from the 2nd Class Medal in Silver so there was most likely three classes Gold , Silver and Bronze although I can't confirm this at the moment.

In the 1980's, there were 15 000 Cuban soldiers in Ethiopia, 2100 Cubans in Mozambique, 30 000 Cuban troops and 6000 Cuban civilians in Angola.

Cuban troops were also stationed in 14 other African states, including Libya (2000 Cuban troops), Congo Brazzaville (3000), Uganda (250), Zambia (200), Tanzania (100), Säo Tombé (600), Malagasy (150), Guinea (750), Benin (50), Lesotho (7), Nigeria (150), Algeria (35), the Cape Verde Islands (15) and Sierra Leone (400).

Here is part of a speech from Raúl Castro addressing the role of Cuba's missions to Africa and awarding the soldiers the Ernesto Che Guevara Order and the Internationalist Combatant Medal.

As we come to the twentieth anniversary of the formation of the columns of Cuban internationalist fighters that carried out missions in the Congo-Leopoldville and Congo-Brazzaville — known today as the Republic of Zaire and the People's Republic of the Congo respectively — it is my honor, on behalf of the party leadership, the Council of State, and Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, to award the Ernesto Che Guevara Order and the Internationalist Combatant Medal to the members of those detachments. These compañeros had the historical privilege of being the precursors of the joint struggle of the people of Cuba and the peoples of Black Africa against colonial and neocolonial oppression, for national independence, and for the triumph and consolidation of socialism.

The column that went to the Congo under the name Patrice Lumumba Battalion had a number of missions. It was, first of all, a reserve force for Che's column, and was to join them if necessary and at the appropriate time.

It also had the task of helping the progressive government of the Congo, threatened with attack by the regime in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). For this task the battalion was not only ready to fight alongside the Congolese army against a foreign attack from the other side of the Congo River, but its assignment included forming several militia battalions.

No less important was the mission of participating with a group of Angolan adviser-combatants in the MPLA's Second Front in Cabinda, training Angolan combatants, equipping them, and helping them head toward the interior of Angola, toward the First Front north of Luanda.

Compañeros [Jorge] Risquet and [Rolando] Kindelán were in charge of this many-sided mission.

The heroic actions by Che's Column 1 continued for a number of months. They overcame dangerous obstacles to get to the interior of Zaire, where they took part in many clashes in which they were outnumbered.

The service record of Che's column counts more than fifty combat actions. Using the pseudonym "Tatu," Che carried these out with the mastery of tactics and strategy that made him a true artist of guerrilla warfare.

Eddie.

[Dolf]

Eddie,

Would you know the date of this speech so I can try to situate in time some of the events mentioned and compare with my sources?

Again thanks a lot for another great job!

Best,

Dolf

[Taz]

Sure Dolf,

The speech was given by Raúl Castro, minister of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces, at a meeting commemorating the 20th anniversary of two Cuban internationalist contingents to the Congo. It was held in Havana, Nov. 7, 1985.

Eddie.

First class of the Award.

[Nota Bene]

With the ribbon pin. Comes in a plastic box.

[Rick Research]

I have seen the first class (although not recently) in gold, and without the white outer stripe that SEEMS to have been used to distinguish a lot of Cuban 1st and 2nd Class medals...

whatever that actually indicated!

[Taz]

Decreto Ley #30

Awarded to Revolutionary Armed Forces members, in active military service, reservists and retirees, who had distinguished themselves in an exemplary way during the accomplishment of internationalist missions, or had kept a consequent attitude in their work during their service. The Medal “Internationalist Combatant” will have a First and second Class.

Medalla "Combatiente Internacionalista" 1st Class which came the other day.
Notice the swapped ribbon and more importantly the variation of the reverse.
The Medalla "Combatiente Internacionalista" shown before has a Council of State reverse, this example of the Medalla "Combatiente Internacionalista" (I) has a FAR reverse

[medals73]

Both classes, side-by-side.

[medals73]

And a document for the 2nd class. To a Soviet friend, so no need to obliterate the name. With a close-up of a pencil note on the reverse of the document.

[CtahhR]

The Medal "Internationalist Combatant" 2nd Class.

[CtahhR]

The Ribbon Bar.