[Marxism] [ufpjnyc] Cubans Paid in Blood and Sweat to Liberate Africans

[Carlos Rovira <carlitoboricua@xxxxxxxxx> (by way of Mike Friedman <mikedf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>)]

The Star
South Africa
November 23, 2004

Cubans paid in blood and sweat to liberate Africans
Angel Villa
Minister Counsellor
Embassy of Cuba
Pretoria

The letter of Paul Pompa published by The Star on November
12 refers to the statements of Comrade Dominic Tweedie and
made comments on a large number of countries, but I will
only elaborate on the statements dealing with Cuba.

Although I was not even born at the time of most of the
events mentioned by Pompa, I am in the position to defend
with facts all my assertions on the following issues:

* The accusation that Cuba helped the Soviets in the
episode of Afghanistan can only be considered as a very
disgusting "black humour" joke.

* Cuba assisted Angola with our military forces for 15
years at the request of late Angolan president Agostinho
Neto to help defend the sovereignty and independence of
Angola from the apartheid forces.

It was a responsible decision of Cuba to participate with
more than 200,000 troops in this period and not because we
followed instructions of any foreign country.

All fallen Cubans in Angola made an enormous contribution
to guarantee the sovereignty of this brotherly country, and
their presence was based in our internationalist
principles. Cubans went to Angola because Africa is an
essential part of our nationhood, and it was our symbolic
payback to Africa because of the inhuman slavery that
forced millions in chains across the Atlantic to the
Americas, including to Cuba.

Hundreds of Cuban heroes and heroines died in Angola for
the just cause of the African liberation movement, in the
name of justice and not for the glory of anyone.

The military defeat of the apartheid army in the battle of
Cuito Cuanavale in 1988 marked the turning point of the
history of Southern Africa in favour of the progressive
liberation movements in Angola, Nami-bia and South Africa.
History can not be ignored or denied.

o The US military invasion in Grenada was another infamous
episode in the history of the Americas and at that time
there were only Cuban civilians working in that country.

o It is also a fact that at the time of the missile crises
in 1962 there were Soviets on Cuban soil, and I have to
tell Pompa that if the US had retaliated, not only innocent
Cubans and Soviets would have been among the dead but he
would probably not have been able to write his letter after
a nuclear conflict.

The placement of the missiles in Cuba was a mutual
agreement between Cuba and the former Soviet Union as a
dissuasive measure against the US military plans to attack
Cuba after their defeat in Bay of Pigs in 1961.

Despite the agreements with our former ally in the final
solution of the missile crises that ignored Cuba, we will
never forget all the solidarity contributions by the USSR
to Cuba, helping us to develop the country and to face the
actions of the US, particularly the economic, fi-nancial
and commercial blockade.

o The armed struggle for the final independence of Cuba in
1898 was the first inter imperialist war. All the efforts
and sacrifices made by Cubans during the Spanish colonial
era and the final victory of our army after 30 years
fighting for independence were betrayed because of the US
intervention in the war and the secret "Paris Agreement"
that transferred Cuba from Spanish to American domination.

Cuba was a country sacked, exploited and colonised by
foreign powers and the struggle for independence make us
proud of it.

All the glory in our liberation struggle was achieved on
January 1 1959 when Cuba was free at last from foreign
domination.

o It is also a fact that Cubans citizens fought during the
World War 2, not as part of the Cuban army at that time but
as volunteers in other foreign armies, which were involved
in the war.

o No one can deny the active role that young generations of
Cubans are already playing in the country to keep alive the
revolutionary spirit of our Caribbean socialism and the
undeniable teachings of Fidel Castro as they prepare
themselves for future leadership.

Pompa, the memory of any human being is not infinite.

I would like to kindly recommend to you that a deep
consultation on historical facts is needed in order to
present an accurate document to the public based on truths
and not suppositions, particularly if it is for the benefit of
the readers of a well-known newspaper like The Star.

This exercise demonstrated how useful were the lessons on
contemporary history I received not long ago in our free
educational system in Cuba.

Angel Villa
Minister Counsellor
Embassy of Cuba
Pretoria

Published on the web by Star on November 23, 2004.

© Star 2004. All rights reserved.

=====
Carlos Rovira - "Carlito"


            
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