NIGERIA, May 28, 2018. Last Friday, the collective of the Cuban Embassy in Abuja held a cocktail to celebrate Africa Day. Together with federal government officials, diplomats from Africa, friends and journalists, the 55th anniversary of African unity was commemorated.
The Cuban Residence was the venue to gather dozens of Africans to celebrate their day. The central words were in charge of the ambassador, Carlos Trejo Sosa, who ratified the historical links that unite the Greater Antilles with the African continent. In his speech he gave an account of Cuban history where he highlighted the active participation of slaves from Africa in the independence of our country. He pointed out the African heritage, not only in the color of the skin or the distinctive features of the citizens, but in the different artistic manifestations. In addition, he mentioned the legacy of the Commander in Chief, Fidel Castro, who tenaciously defended relations with the sister nations of Africa.
The attendees thanked the words, as well as the organization of the activity to commemorate their day. The representatives of some media in the country covered the activity and conducted interviews with the Cuban diplomat.
Speech of the Cuban Ambassador
Excellencies,
Brothers and sisters here representing the peoples of Africa:
Perhaps for some, who are not very much aware of the close bonds between the people of the African continent and Cuba,which have been over the centuries in the making, the celebration of the Day of Africa in the Embassy of Cuba seems somehow weird. I´ll try to explain why not.
Africans caught in the Atlantic Slave Trade were taken to Cuba where their presence made an indelible mark on the character of the political, economic and cultural fabric of the country.
The first political act of the Revolution which began on October 10, 1868 with the upraising against Spanish colonialism in our island, was the liberation of the African slaves, pronounced by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, later acknowledged as the “Father of the Motherland”.
These people, who had been horribly exploited and tyrannized by the colonial power, freely decided to join the liberation forces born on that date, and fight for the independence of a country which, as from that moment, began rightfully to be theirs.
Thousands of former slaves showed in the battle fields of Cuba their courage and decision to die free, rather than living on their knees. That remains the moto of the Cuban people, proven along more than a century of continuous fight for our sovereignty and dignity.! That´s the heritage we praise from our beloved forefathers!
And that is also what explains Cuba´s decision to support the people of a Continent which so highly contributed to the formation of our nation. Our late Commander in Chief Fidel Castro considered any effort to help Africa as small contribution to pay back the enormous historical debt we have with this continent.
Since the 1960s, just a few months after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, led by Fidel Castro, African independence and transformative struggles have constituted a major factor in Cuban foreign policy.
Fidel Castro noted in 1976 that socialist Cuba was populated by a Latin African people opposed to colonialism, racism and imperialism. He also stressed that Cubans are proud of having African blood running along our veins.
It is well known Cuba´s role in the battles to preserve the independence of Angola, the independence of Namibia and the end of the apartheid in South Africa. Cuban blood mixed on the battle fields with that of our African brothers and sisters.
Cuba’s historic role in solidarity in the fight for independence of various African countries as well as Cuba’s collaboration not only sending highly qualified human resources but also for training several generations of professionals.
Since May 21, 1963, that is exactly 55 years ago, when Cuba officially began international medical collaboration in Algeria, there are 407,000 health professionals and technicians, including 183,338 doctors, who have fulfilled the honorable mission of saving lives and raising health indicators. in 164 countries. Many of them in Africa.
In recent years, Cuba has educated thousands of African students in our universities. These students are provided with free tuition and lodging.
During the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) pandemic of 2014, Cuba deployed hundreds of physicians and other healthcare workers to Liberia and Sierra Leone, two of the hardest hit West African states, which was instrumental in turning the tide in efforts to halt and eradicate the crisis.
Distinguished guests, brothers and sisters, Cuba´s commitment with Africa remains and will continue as strong as the granite stone that houses the mortal remains of our unforgettable commander in chief Fidel Castro.
Let me say something: we, the Cuban people, do not consider ourselves as African diaspora in the Caribbean Sea.! We are part and parcel of Africa, though geographically thousands of kilometers away!
!Long live Africa!
!Long live the indestructible links between our peoples and countries!
Many thanks.
(Embassy of Cuba in Nigeria)