Pretoria, May 25, 2021- Cuba's fraternal ties with Africa are part of our history, grounded in deep cultural and historical roots. There are many reasons to join in the commemoration of Africa Day this May 25.
The presence on our Island of almost 1,300,000 Africans of more than 200 ethnic groups, as a result of the cruel slave trade, forever marked the history, customs, tastes, beliefs and traditions of our nation.
Africa is part of the very essence of our Homeland. As Commander in Chief Fidel Castro said, Cuba is a Latin African people.
Cultural fusion found its maximum expression in the struggles for Cuban independence in the 19th century. Most of the troops of our Liberation Army and many of its leaders were directly descended from Africans.
Before the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution in January 1959, official policies despised the continent, which offered Cuba an enormous demographic and cultural contribution. Our only presence in Africa was a small, forgotten consulate in Egypt.
With the triumph of the Revolution, solidarity with Africa became a priority for Cuba.
Cuba today maintains relations with all the countries of the continent, which are diversifying and consolidating in dissimilar spheres. Havana is one of the capitals of the world with the largest number of African Embassies represented (27) and Cuba is one of the best represented nations on the African continent with a total of 34 Embassies.
Almost half a million Cubans fought in Africa against colonialism and for independence 2,289 of them paid the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.
In all these years, hundreds of thousands of Cuban collaborators have provided their services in Africa, in the sectors of health, education, construction, sports, agriculture and many others.
From 1961 to the present, tens of thousands of young people from the vast majority of African countries have graduated from Cuba.
We have the firm and unanimous support of Africa in the fight against the criminal blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States. We are deeply grateful to our brothers in the African Union, who, at their 33rd Summit of Heads of State and Government, ratified for the eleventh consecutive time their rejection of the blockade and its resurgence.
Geographic distance separates us from Africa, the land of our ancestors, but deep and indestructible ties bind us to it.