At the commemoration, held at the historical site that commemorates the event, the Cuban ambassador, Oscar León, expressed to the press his joy at commemorating such an important date on what he considered his second homeland.
“I am very happy to be here and celebrate the victory together. Angola and Cuba are brothers, there is a history of brotherhood that was forged with blood, struggle and work during peace, and we will always be together,” said the diplomat, who participated in the activities accompanied by the military attaché, Enrique Kindelán.
León stressed that it is a historical place and event that provokes a lot of emotion, because that was the battle that determined the change of Southern Africa.
The Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (Fapla) and Cuban internationalists defeated the South African army, thereby forcing the apartheid regime into negotiations for the total withdrawal from Angolan territory and the implementation of the Security Council resolution of United Nations that gave independence to Namibia, he recalled.
Our heroic combatants showed that the regime was not invincible, the ambassador stressed the importance of the new generations knowing this history, knowing what happened and how it marked the course of Angola and Southern Africa.
León said he was very happy to see the importance that the country’s authorities attach to transmitting all of the country’s history to young people.
For his part, the coordinator of the brigade of Cuban aid workers in the province of Cuando Cubango, Félix Álvarez, emphasized the commitment felt by those like him who keep alive, in times of peace, the ties of friendship forged in the struggle.
In statements to Prensa Latina, he commented that 19 cooperators from the Caribbean nation, representing the 59 that the brigade has in the territory, attended the event as guests, so their presence is also the representation of the compatriots who gave their contribution to the liberation of Southern Africa.
We try to represent them with dignity in peace and continue the message of brotherhood and love that they sowed with their sweat and blood, he added.
The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale took place between November 15, 1987 and March 23, 1988 and is considered one of the largest military confrontations on the African continent since World War II, as well as a turning point in favor of peace and liberation of southern Africa.
The victory achieved on March 23, 1988 had great significance for the region, which in 2018 established the date as Southern Africa Liberation Day. ef/mem/kmg
