Addis Ababa, December 18, 2025.- At the invitation of the Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to Ethiopia, Yeison Arcadio Meneses Copete, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the African Union, Lucas Domingo Hernández Polledo, participated as a speaker in the International Conference on South-South Cooperation and Justice for African and Afro-descendant Peoples, held within the framework of the CELAC–African Union High-Level Forum.
During his remarks, Ambassador Hernández Polledo highlighted the deep African heritage of the Cuban people, underscoring that Africa constitutes an essential pillar of Cuba’s national identity. He noted that the African legacy is tangibly reflected in Cuba’s culture, history, spirituality, and daily life, expressed through music, dance, religious traditions, language, gastronomy, and community values.
He also emphasized Cuba’s historic and enduring commitment to Africa and to Afro-descendant peoples, grounded in principles of solidarity, social justice, and South-South cooperation. He recalled Cuba’s contribution to national liberation processes in Africa and its sustained cooperation in areas such as health, education, and human resource training, as a concrete expression of the historical and human ties that bind Cuba to the African continent.
The Cuban Ambassador further underscored the importance of strengthening mechanisms for cooperation and dialogue between CELAC and the African Union as strategic spaces to promote historical justice, combat racism and discrimination, and advance toward inclusive and sustainable development for African and Afro-descendant peoples.
(EmbaCuba-Etiopía)