Mbombela, 17 January 2024 - After two days of intense work, the VII African Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba came to a successful conclusion. More than 200 delegates from various countries of the continent and other regions gathered in South Africa to demonstrate their inalienable commitment to the Cuban Revolution.
The final declaration of the event set out the firm rejection to the blockade imposed by the United States and to the inclusion of the island on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. It also included a broad programme of action, with specific tasks aimed at strengthening and articulating the movement of solidarity with Cuba in the continent.
A moment of special significance was the presentation, by the President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples and Hero of the Republic, Fernando González Llort, of the Order of Solidarity conferred by the Cuban government to the Association of Friendship with Cuba in South Africa, FOCUS, and to comrade Chris Matlako, who was President of FOCUS until the day of his death.
The Cuban Ambassador to South Africa, Enrique Orta González stressed in his closing remarks that Africa is an essential part of the identity of Cubans, hence the strength of the ties between the Cuban and African peoples. He referred to the spirit of solidarity and friendship that prevailed during these three days, while thanking the delegates for their countless expressions of solidarity with the country.
The VII African Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba proved, once again, the firm position of the continent in favour of the Cuban people and against the unilateral sanctions of the United States against the island. It demonstrated the absolute failure of the continuous attempts at political isolation against the Cuban Revolution and the prestige our country maintains among African nations.
(Cuban Embassy in South Africa)