The center of government is the Palacio de la Revolución (Palace of the Revolution, tel. 07/879-6551), immediately south of the José Martí monument. This monumental structure was inspired by the architecture then popular in Fascist Europe and was built 1954–57 as the Palace of Justice. Today, it is where Castro and the Council of Ministers work out their policies of state.

The labyrinthine, ocher-colored palace adjoins the buildings of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and is fronted by a broad staircase built by Batista for the Cuban Supreme Court and national police headquarters. No visitors are allowed.