By: Ana Hurtado
We have recently seen Cuban President Miguel DíazCanel on a tour of the African continent with his work team. He has been welcomed as a son, as a brother and even as a father. It should not surprise us that this is the case, it is enough to look back.
When the African continent broke the chains of colonialism, Kwane Nkrumah wrote a manifesto: Africa must unite.
This visionary, politician and writer from Ghana were aware that African countries alone were not in a position to compete with the modern, westernized world. Only a united Africa could be strong and not let itself be stepped on.
However, the white colonialists in many of the countries, in the words of RyszardKapu?ci?ski, were to be replaced by black elite. Independence did not change the white power structure. The Polish teacher said:
“The struggle for power fueled rivalries between ethnic groups and different tribes: the administration became a battlefield to distribute national wealth and political power. Corruption spread and conflicts were inevitable.
Without forgetting the coups d’état. Rest in peace Thomas Sankara. He was a light, a hope on the continent. They ended up murdering him.
Africa has been completely forgotten by the world’s rulers. In fact, after the fall of the socialist bloc, Western Europe decided to “privilege” Eastern European citizens with no other purpose than to colonize them culturally.
But Cuba was there from the beginning. Cuba gave knowledge, hearts, souls and lives for the freedom of an oppressed continent as its people had been decades before.
Therefore, being in solidarity with the people of Cuba is nothing more than being reciprocal with all the solidarity of which Cuba is an example to the world.
Fidel educated Cubans on the principle of extending a generous hand to people in need and placed solidarity and integration at the center of the country’s foreign policy.
Based on José Martí’s maxim “Homeland is humanity”, Fidel made internationalist solidarity a pillar of the Revolution, providing support to movements that fought against imperial oppression in Latin America, Africa and wherever it was needed.
Algeria was the first to benefit from Cuban aid in December 1961 while waging its war against French colonialism. In the same way, Cuba played a key role in the fight against Apartheid and sent nearly 300,000 soldiers to Angola between 1975 and 1988 to face the aggression of the South African supremacist army.
And without going any further, the decisive element that put an end to the racist regime supported by Western powers (of course) was the resounding defeat of the South African army in Cuito Cuanavale against Cuban troops in January 1988.
What would have happened to all these struggles of these people, without the help of Fidel’s people?
Cuba not only helped outside but also welcomed inside and was, is and will always be the sanctuary of revolutionaries from around the world. Those of us – and me included – are trained, learn and grow on the island with its values and hand in hand with its humanism. This is also exporting solidarity by teaching.
Cuban doctors are known throughout the world. We have named them a thousand times and we are not going to get tired of doing so. There are thousands of Cuban health professionals, men and women, working in more than sixty countries around the world.
Since the triumph of the Revolution, Cuba has carried out nearly 600,000 missions in 158 countries with all kinds of medical consultations such as deliveries, surgical operations and vaccinations. For example, “Operation Miracle,” which is already emblematic. Following Fidel’s idea, it was decided to launch a broad humanitarian campaign under the same name in July 2004 with the help of Venezuela, which consisted of operating free of charge on poor Latin Americans who suffered from cataracts and other eye diseases without the possibility of financing interventions of this type. . This humanitarian mission also extended to other latitudes such as Asia and Africa.
And nearly three million people, since its inception, in thirty-five countries, have regained their sight. While in this same period of time, other countries have dedicated themselves to other, less noble things, to put it in a “polite” way.
Cuba has also been present in the world of education with the literacy program “Yosipuedo” in 2003 at the proposal of Fidel himself. A program with extensive results, applied to several Latin American countries in 2008, aimed at teaching illiterate adults to read and write. Thus constituting the first bulwark against exclusion and poverty. Bringing to fruition the proclamation of what Martí also called “The full dignity of man.”
I could give many more examples but I would spend hours writing.
Cuba is honored with its altruism and solidarity with the people of the world.
And he continues to do so today. Díaz Canel represents the purest continuity with the people of the world. There is no life to be grateful for, all those freedom, education and health have strictly depended on the unconditional and voluntary help of a blocked island that has never given away crumbs. He has given the same thing that he had for his own, to others.
Without a doubt, the Revolution has awakened the moral sense of the people. It has awakened the human solidarity of the men and women of the towns.
The Revolution has abolished selfishness and has turned generosity into the main virtue of every citizen. The Revolution has collected the best of the nation. The Revolution has swept away. The Revolution has purified. The Revolution has cleaned up. The Revolution has dignified. The Revolution has redeemed.
Thank you Fidel, for your people, for mine and for the others.
