Johannesburg, 21 October 2026. —South African and Cuban students gathered in Johannesburg for a demonstration to demand an immediate end to the United States’ economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. The event brought together voices committed to justice, international solidarity and respect for the right of peoples to determine their own destiny.
The students’ call joins the demands of the international community on the eve of the vote in the United Nations General Assembly on the Cuban resolution against the blockade. The participants emphasised that this unilateral policy affects the Cuban people, hinders the country’s development and constitutes a violation of international law.
From South Africa – a nation that knows first-hand the struggle against oppression and apartheid – solidarity with Cuba was reaffirmed once again. The demonstration showed that the historic bonds of friendship, cooperation and resistance between the two peoples remain strong.
Caellan Van Heerden La O, a young Cuban living in South Africa, took part in the student demonstration at his university, vehemently declaring that #CubaIsNotAThreat, but the blockade is!
The South African people stand with Cuba!
(Cuban Embassy in South Africa)