Pretoria, July 12 (Prensa Latina) The South African professor Robert Van Niekerk expressed his solidarity with Cuba at the tightening of the blockade imposed by the United States and highlighted the dignity of its people before the constant threats of Washington since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959.
The academic, researcher and lecturer on political sciences of the Witwatersrand University, in Johannesburg, asserted that the reinforcement of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the US against Cuba ‘must bring concerns to all those who believe in a world based on principles and social justice.’
About his criteria on how Cubans have succeeded at the face of those aggressions, the academician considered that ‘that people has never had been willing to sacrifice its dignity… that is the source of the resistance of Cubans against the new onslaught of Donald Trump’s government.’
In an interview offered to Prensa Latina, Van Niekerk pointed out that since the Triumph of the Revolution on January 1st, 1959, Cuba has consistently represented the ideal of an egalitarian society and that the fair world order is attainable, even in the poor societies of the south.
These principles have been defended in the midst of a blockade only supported by two countries; the United States and Israel, he noted.
Furthermore, the professor said that despite the decades of illegal aggressions aimed at trying to deprive Cuba of resources and social achievements in health and education, this Caribbean country has achieved results similar to those of the developed states, as confirmed by the World Health Organization.
In this regard, he stressed that Cuba has been one of the first to support developed countries in the preparation of thousands of its citizens in the medical care and has produced vaccines for Africa like meningitis A.
In Van Niekerk’s opinion ‘Cuba has been a force of the good and an alternative inspiration to social barbarism represented in the world by extreme neoliberalism and Donald Trump’s rightwing thinking.
The reinforcement of the illegal blockade of the United States against Cuba, he added, is an attempt to destroy its sovereignty and the powerful ideas promoted by its Revolution, like the defense for the peoples to be able to determine their own destinies free from imperialism.
He highlighted, that like never before, progressive humanity which defends the values of social justice and the rights of nations to determine their own destiny ‘should maintain solidarity with Cuba and its people’, including its own country, South Africa.
Van Niekerk recalled that Cuba gave shelter to the South African persecuted by the apartheid regime and did not hesitate alongside those who struggled to create a democracy in that African country of the south.
Cuba gave training to anti-apartheid combatants and is now helping the training of young South Africans as doctors … ‘Our ties of solidarity are sealed in the commitment of those brave Cubans who voluntarily joined health military forces and died in the struggle to free Africa from colonialism and apartheid’, he asserted.