Addis Ababa, February 4, 2025. – In an emotional ceremony held at the Park of Friendship between the peoples of Ethiopia and Cuba, the Member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and Head of the Department of Services, Yudí Mercedes Rodríguez Hernández, paid tribute to the 163 Cuban combatants who fell in defense of Ethiopia's territorial integrity.
During the event, Ms. Rodríguez laid wreaths at the base of the monuments erected in honor of Cuban internationalists, highlighting the courage and commitment of the men and women who gave their lives in the fight against expansionism in the Horn of Africa.
She was accompanied in the tribute by the Ambassadors of Cuba to Ethiopia and to the African Union, Meylin Suárez Álvarez and Lucas Domingo Hernández Polledo, together with officials of the Cuban and Ethiopian Foreign Ministries, who reaffirmed the importance of this recognition of the fallen combatants and the deep meaning of solidarity between the two nations, with special emphasis on this year when the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two Governments is commemorated.
The architect Yibra Mehari, responsible for the design of the monument, offered the Cuban delegation a detailed explanation of the structure of the park and the progress in its remodeling and conservation process, reaffirming Ethiopia's commitment to the memory of Cuban internationalists.
As part of the ceremony, the tree planted in tribute to the 93rd anniversary of the birth of the Commander in Chief, Fidel Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution and main promoter of cooperation between the two countries, was shown.
In her remarks, Ms. Rodríguez deeply thanked the Ethiopian government and people for preserving the memory of the fallen Cubans and for exalting, through this majestic monument, the historical ties of brotherhood and cooperation between Cuba and Ethiopia.
The tribute reaffirms the strength of bilateral ties, based on solidarity and mutual support at crucial moments in the history of both peoples.
(EmbaCuba-Etiopía)