Speaking on the occasion Lourenco stressed that naming the hospital after the Cuban commander was a tribute to those who shed their blood in Angola.

Attending the inauguration ceremony of the medical facility was a delegation from Cuba, headed by Minister of Health José Angel Portal and including Díaz Argüelles’ daughter, Natacha and some former combatants in the Angolan war.

The head of State told the press that the institution bears the name of a great fighter for freedom, whose contribution in two of the most important battles in Angolan history was very relevant.

He referred to the Battle of Kifangondo, where victory for the ruling MPLA heralded the declaration of national independence on November 11, 1975; and the Battle of Ebo, just a month after Angola emerged free of colonialism, and which prevented South Africa from advancing towards Luanda and losing what had been conquered, he explained.

After that there were other battles, but these two were critical at the time, as any of them could have made the difference between gaining or losing independence, or achieving it much later, at a greater cost in Angolan blood and sweat, argued Lourenço.

The president insisted in the role played by Díaz Argüelles, who together with the Angolan combatants and a small Cuban contingent, achieved essential victories.

He added that by naming the hospital this way they also pay tribute to all the Cuban combatants who shed their blood and lost their lives in Angola since 1975 and for many years, fighting side by side with the Angolans to preserve independence and sovereignty.

Raúl Díaz Argüelles was the first head of the Cuban military mission in Angola and died on December 11, 1975 when the armored vehicle he was traveling in made contact with an anti-tank mine in Ebo.

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