‘Cuba wants its citizens out of US jail, economic blockade removed’

Welcome to Nigeria, what really attracts you here?Thank you for the opportunity. ICAP, the institute I represent, is an organisation in charge of making and seeking friends all over the world for Cuba without minding the ideological idea to be gained from that. The main objective of my visit to Nigeria is to bring information […]

Welcome to Nigeria, what really attracts you here?
Thank you for the opportunity. ICAP, the institute I represent, is an organisation in charge of making and seeking friends all over the world for Cuba without minding the ideological idea to be gained from that. The main objective of my visit to Nigeria is to bring information on what is happening in my country and the work we do at ICAP, the different activities we develop. I am also visiting solidarity organisations we have in Nigeria. It is a kind of bridge building between people and relationships and also to invite our friends to the different events we will be involved in the coming year. For this year, we have an important programme regarding the Cuban five who were imprisoned. It is important in the sense that we expect people to come there and give their solidarity for their release to return to their country. We also want solidarity for the removal of the blockage on Cuba for the past 55 years which we refer to as hanging the Cuban people that does not allow my country to make interchange with any country. The blockage doesn’t allow us to trade with any country. Those countries that by any chance want to trade with Cuba can be punished for that.
Another reason why I am here is to have an inter-change with friends of Cuba in Nigeria to let them know that the coming year will be an important year for Cubans because it is the year of the celebration of the third international solidarity meeting that will be held in Havana.  At this moment we have more than 2000 solidarity organisations in more than 176 countries in the world. It means that solidarity is growing despite the propaganda against Cuba. The objective of my visit is also to strengthen the historical relationship between Africa, especially Nigeria and Cuba. We are making and updating this in different fields, mainly in the health care system which is among the most seven important in the world, and education, I could say Cuba is the first country in the world in terms of education and we receive students from many countries, every year and many students from Africa are studying in Cuba. Our government supports them because it is one debt we owe Africa. Our  country believes that it is indebted to Africa and we could even do more because we believe Cuba and Africa are one. So we could do more together to strengthen our solidarity.
How many organisation have you met in Nigeria?
We do not have many solidarity organisations here but we have met with many people who are in support of Cuba. I have visited Osun State where we have so many friends who have been to Cuba because we organised a kind of solidarity brigade in Cuba where people go abroad to know the reality, visit schools, hospitals and exchange ideas with people from different countries. Last year was also an important year for Africa in Cuba because we received a delegation from six countries with more than 76 participants. Among them the Nigerian delegation was the largest. This is something we really appreciate because of the love. Africa and Cuba have a very good relationship and we always appreciate their love and support for Cuba at difficult times. We have solidarity organisations in support of Cuba in Osun State, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Amilcar Cabral Ideological School in Lagos and the Christian Cultural Friendship Association in Lagos. They usually send ten people to Cuba every year which is something we really appreciate. We have another important organisation in Lagos. We are reviving solidarity movements and we have many people becoming our friends. I came for this because we have received a lot of information from friends of Cuba in Nigeria regarding the case of the Cuban five. I am saying this because this is a very important moment for Cubans because they have remained for fifteen years in jail for doing nothing just to protect our country against terrorism and were accused of that. So we are asking all the people of the world to be concerned about their plight. We have one of the five back home but he doesn’t feel that he has been freed because of the other four remaining in prison in the US. We have received support from the different parts of the world. I am here to speak with friends of Cuba, not those who hate us. I do not feel like a foreigner in Nigeria and I will knock at the doors of those who believe in our struggle, Nigeria is a very friendly.
Has the UN done anything about the Cuban Five and the blockade imposed on your country?
They have done nothing at all because this case has been turned into a political one. They have done nothing to release them just because there are external political grudges against Cuba. Cuba is listed as one of the worst terrorist countries in the world. Now I ask the people who I talk to if they have ever heard that any Cuban has gone to the US to put a bomb or kill people or done something illegal in the US, never in their lives. Meanwhile they have gone to Cuba to kill people, to put bombs everywhere, to kill foreigners. This is the case of my country and we want our friends to spread out the information to let the world know our problem. Every two years Cuba presents a document at the United Nations to remove the blockade. At the meetings we get good results because among all the countries at the UN only three vote against Cuba which include Israel, US and one other country. All others vote in favour of Cuba but the removal of the blockage has not come, it remains. We need to pursue the removal of the blockade.
Have you met with any Nigerian government official?
No. I only met with solidarity organisations and people in support of our country concerning the Cuban five. We are in touch with some people in government who know about us but not directly with the Nigerian government.
Why is there so much demand for solidarity support for your country?
The problem we are facing now in my country is the blockade and the political problem of the Cuban five in prison. I thank the people of Nigeria for the support of Cuba and I would like to say that Nigeria will never be disappointed with Cuba for this support and we will always be on the side of Africa and Nigeria especially in anything concerning her interest.
Do you have any solidarity organisation supporting Cuba in the US considering the problem the US government has with your country?
In spite of what the US has against Cuba we have very good relations with their people and it is so deep that we have one of the biggest solidarity movements there. Americans gathered in front of the White House to campaign for us and it helped us. This is a very important year for Cuba because President Obama has two years to remain as president of the US and this is the striking moment we need to fight for that and we are asking friends of Cuba all over the world to support us.