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Zimbabwe-Cuba relations are described as rock-solid and firm since the two countries fought armed revolutions that dislodged Western-backed racist colonial and capitalist establishments. Zimpapers Politics Hub’s Gibson Nyikadzino (GN), in conversation with Cuba’s Chargé d’Affaires in Zimbabwe, Ms Yenielys Vilma Regueiferos Linares (YL), explored the historical, contemporary and future trajectory shaping the Zimbabwe-Cuba relations.

GN: Cuba is regarded Africa’s friend, based on its moral guide on being a “brother’s keeper”. As a friend to Zimbabwe, how significant are the principles of the 26th July Movement in shaping Zimbabwe-Cuba relations?

YL: I would like to thank you for the opportunity of talking about Cuba, a sister nation of Zimbabwe and of Africa. Going back to history is always relevant mainly for young generations. Cuba was conquered by Spain and thousands of African slaves were taken to the island. In 1868, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, the father of the Cuban homeland, freed his slaves and invited them to join him in the independence struggle. Anti-racist and emancipation ideals have been defended in our country since then. 

In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, the US military directly administered the island until 1902. Various Cuban presidents that responded to the United States’ interests came and went over. Among them, Fulgencio Batista, who took power through a coup d’état in 1952. The inequality and misery was extreme for the majority of the population by the time. On July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro, a young lawyer and activist, led the assault of Cuban military barracks in order to defeat Batista’s brutal dictatorship. A group of young rebels attacked the Moncada barracks, Cuba’s second most important military fortress that had 1,000 soldiers from Batista’s army.

GN: We understand the attack had a lot of challenges and was unsuccessful. From 1953, how did the young revolutionaries organise themselves?

YL: This action was unsuccessful. Most of the group was killed. Fidel Castro and his younger brother, Raúl, escaped but were later arrested. Fidel’s trial and imprisonment served to build his reputation as a revolutionary leader. After Batista yielded to international pressure and granted amnesty to many political prisoners in 1955, Castro headed to Mexico, where he began organising Cuban exiles into a movement named for the date of the failed Moncada attack, which is July 26th. In November 1956, 82 men representing the 26th of July Movement sailed from Mexico to Cuba aboard the Granma, a small yacht. Though most of the group was killed, around 20 of them escaped, including Fidel and Raúl Castro and one of Castro’s foreign recruits, Argentine-born doctor Ernesto “Che” Guevara. By the end of 1958, the guerrilla revolutionaries in Castro’s 26th of July Movement had gained the upper hand in Cuba, forcing Batista to flee the island on January 1, 1959.

GN: Following the triumph of the revolution in 1959, was it intentional to spread its ideals of anti-colonial resistance to Zimbabwe and Africa in an uninterrupted fashion?

YL: Since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution the relations with Africa, and particularly with Zimbabwe, have been solid and uninterrupted. Added to our blood ties, due to the African presence in our genes and identity, we are also united by common values defended by the July 26 Movement in Cuba. These are self-determination, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti-imperialism and the fight for the well-being of our peoples after 65 and 44 years of the independence of Cuba and Zimbabwe, respectively.

GN: Cuba has survived an economic blockade imposed by the USA. There are lessons that Zimbabwe can learn from Cuba as it has sanctions too. What key strategies have Cuba used to survive the onslaught of the US embargo whose experiences Zimbabwe can also learn from?

YL: I wouldn’t talk about lessons, but about the exchange of experiences. Both countries have suffered from brutal economic persecution that has affected the lives and normal development of our peoples. Zimbabwe has had these sanctions for more than 20 years, and last March sanctions were lifted for a significant group of nationals, but 11 individuals and 3 companies are still sanctioned, including the President of the Republic and important government officials. How then could we explain that a positive step was taken? The sanctions must be lifted for everyone equally, without distinction, especially due to their unilateral nature.

Cuba has been suffering the impact of a genocidal blockade for more than 60 years. During Donald Trump’s administration, 243 measures were taken to affect our economy and they have been kept since nowadays. The American administration unfairly keeps us on a spurious list of countries that sponsor terrorism, and actually Cuba has been a victim of this scourge. The purpose of this list is to reinforce actions against our economy, which is a criminal plus for our daily lives. Shortages of all types of supplies including oil, food and medicines have marked the life in Cuba in recent years trying to demonstrate the inability of our leaders, to suffocate the people economically and to create a lack of credibility in the revolutionary process.

GN: What are the shared experiences?

YL: Experiences to share that in fact have been part of the life of Cubans and Zimbabweans are resilience, the development of national products, collaboration with other peoples as a way to circumvent sanctions and a strong foreign policy based on respect and non-interference in the affairs of other countries.

GN: In the post-Fidel and Raul Castro eras, Cuba has remained a primary supporter of Zimbabwe, providing help in the medical field. Are there exchange programs and scholarship opportunities that are provided in this field, or any other field of cooperation?

YL: We have kept Cuban medical brigades for years in Zimbabwe, and we will go on providing our modest assistance. The present-day Cuban Medical brigades, is the 14th one, it has 16 members and they work in Harare, Bulawayo, and Gwanda. 

Thousands of Zimbabweans have become professionals in Cuba. We provide scholarships every year to young students in spite of our difficult economic situation, and we have teachers at Bindura University of Science Education. The historical collaboration between our two brother countries will go on. We are also working in business projects together that will support our excellent political relations in the commercial field.

GN: With changing political and economic dynamics, globally, how do these changes refine Zimbabwe-Cuba relations and what do you think makes them eternally strong?

YL: Our relations will be eternally strong, we share common principles and values, our founding leaders built these links and our present-day leaders continue working on them. Africa and Cuba are joined by unbreakable ties. The Cuban Vice-president, Salvador Valdés Mesa, visited Zimbabwe this year. The Fidel Castro road was formally inaugurated in Harare, and the political talks are always at a high-level status. 

Zimbabwe has always supported us in our battle against the blockade every year in the United Nations. Recently, Cuba’s deputy minister of Foreign Affairs met Zimbabwe’s deputy minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa, to discuss bilateral issues. These are just simple examples of our relevant bilateral relations that will remain strong. Zimbabwe can always count on the love and support of its Cuban brothers and we are sure that the feeling is reciprocal.