The Central Bank of Cuba carried out the Meteoro 2026 exercise at its headquarters to strengthen the institution’s capacity to respond to natural, technological and health-related disasters across the banking and financial system. Led by the bank’s Defence, Security and Protection Directorate, the drill also assessed implementation of Directive 1 of the President of the National Defence Council on disaster risk reduction management and the response of management bodies. Held within the National Security and Protection System campaign, the exercise included an update on expected conditions for the coming cyclone season. Recent reports pointed to more moderate activity because of some cooling in tropical North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, but specialists still projected at least eight cyclonic events during the period. The programme also reviewed the main civil defence framework, including National Defence Law 75/1994, Decree-Law 170/1997 on the Civil Defence Measures System and Central Bank of Cuba Resolution 117/2023 on the organisation of disaster risk reduction and the deployment of forces and resources. President Juana Lilia Delgado Portal called on institutions across the banking and financial system to implement the directives jointly and report regularly on their execution.