Islamabad, May 6, 2025._Although separated by thousands of kilometers and distinct cultural differences, Cuba and Pakistan have forged a solid and stable bilateral relationship over the decades.
Few know that the island was just the third Latin American country
to establish full diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic on October 28, 1955, in an international context marked by the rise of the Cold War and the confrontation between antagonistic ideological camps.
Barely four years after the formal beginning of the relations, one of the most symbolic moments in the bilateral history took place, with the visit of Ernesto "Che" Guevara to Pakistan in 1959. There he met with the then President Ayub Khan, visited industrial facilities and scientific institutes and observed the political reality of the country. His visit, although brief and discreetly treated by the local press, left a lasting impression in intellectual circles and in regions such as Balochistan, where Che continues to be an admired figure. Less known is his second stay in 1965, when he made a 24-hour stopover in the city of Karachi in which, although no official activities were organized, he did have the opportunity to share with local politicians and personalities.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Non-Aligned Movement provided a common space for interaction and exchanges between the two countries, driven by the spirit of Bandung and the common interest in the promotion of sovereignty and independent development. It is little known that General Zia ul-Haq, as head of state, led the Pakistani delegation to the 14th NAM Summit held in Havana in September 1979, where he was received by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, with whom he had a lively and fluid dialogue.
After the temporary hiatus caused by the convulsive geopolitical changes of the last decade of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century, Cuban-Pakistani relations experienced what is still, up to the moment, their highest point. After the devastating earthquake that devastated the northeast of Pakistan on October 8, 2005 and in an unprecedented act, Cuba sent more than 2,400 doctors and health workers to Pakistan, who attended to more than one million people in the affected areas. This gesture of solidarity, deeply appreciated by the Pakistani society and government, was followed by the offer of a thousand scholarships to young Pakistanis to study medicine at Cuba. Many of these doctors are now serving in marginalized communities in Pakistan, a lasting legacy of cooperation between the two countries.
In a world dominated by strategic alliances based on economic or military interests, the historic link between Cuba and Pakistan is an example that the principles of cooperation and humanitarian aid continue to occupy a central place in international diplomacy.
Note: This is the first in a series of eight articles to be published on the social networks of the Cuban Embassy in Pakistan as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on October 28.