It is named in honor of Cuban military commander and independence leader Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (1819–1874).

With the name of the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes National Order of Merit, it was created by Presidential Decree No.

[2] The medal of the order consisted of the effigy of Céspedes in a circular gold medallion surrounded by a blue enamel band with the name of the hero and the year of the Demajagua uprising, 1868.

The Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Order is intended to reward Cuban and foreign citizens, Heads of State or Government, leaders of other States, who stand out in the fight for the national liberation of the people, for the friendship demonstrated towards the Cuban Revolution or for the international prestige achieved in political, social or economic struggles in favor of the people or for valuable contributions to the consolidation of peace and peaceful coexistence.

[1] The physical form of the order is regulated as follows: "on its obverse and in relief, it has a five-point convex star enamelled in white with a gold bezel 1 millimeter wide, fixed on a pentagon with convex sides constructed by bundles of rod; As a base it also has a red enamelled pentagonal star and a 1 millimeter wide gold bezel.