Harare, May 28, 2026 – Cuba's struggle is Africa's struggle, according to an analysis published in the Zimbabwean newspapers Newsday and The Standard regarding the unfounded US accusation against Army General Raúl Castro, with the evident political purpose of provoking a change of government on the Caribbean island.
The 1996 incident, in which two aircraft belonging to the organization Brothers to the Rescue repeatedly violated Cuban airspace despite formal warnings from a sovereign state with the inherent right to defend its territorial integrity, is highlighted in the research by Saxon Zvina, senior consultant at Skyworld Consultancy Services.
After emphasizing the positions and support of Russia and China for Havana in defense of the island's independence, the article warns that for Africa and the Global South, this serves as a clear warning to those who dare to assert their sovereignty against Western hegemony.
According to Zvina, the accusation against Raúl Castro has among its calculated political objectives the criminalization of Cuban leaders, the fabrication of pretexts for eventual legal cover for military actions, economic strangulation, and covert operations.
At the same time, he notes President Miguel Díaz-Canel's warning that a US military attack against Cuba would unleash bloodshed with incalculable consequences.
The analysis asserts that if the United States could prosecute Raúl Castro for an incident that occurred 30 years ago, it could sanction any African leader who challenges its interests.
Supporting Cuba is not charity; it is an enlightened act of self-interest. Silence in the face of the persecution of the Caribbean nation amounts to complicity, the consultant maintains, calling on the African Union to issue a statement condemning the accusation and reaffirming and supporting the island's sovereignty.
According to the publication in NewsDay and The Standard, the Caribbean nation has survived six decades of the most comprehensive sanctions regime in modern history, but it also offers practical lessons for Africa, such as pharmaceutical sovereignty, the export of services, and food systems resilient to climate change.
Zvina also outlines a roadmap for defending the Caribbean nation, which includes, in addition to the aforementioned action by the African Union against the US accusation that violates its sovereignty and the UN Charter, a potential resolution from its General Assembly and public support from the members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The analysis by the consultant and member of the expert group for China's Belt and Road Initiative urges strengthening cooperation with Cuba in health matters, establishing a trade corridor based on yuan or rubles and training projects, as well as legal defense mechanisms against extraterritoriality from the Global South.