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US Empire: Get Out Cuba’s Way

Africans at a mobilization in Cuba

Remarks by Obi Egbuna Jr External Relations Officer to the Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship  Association/Organizer of the Get Out Of Cuba Way Movement/Campaign delivered at the Black  Lives Matter Educational Webinar Monday July 26th 2021. 

On behalf of the Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association and the Get Out Of Cuba Way  Movement, we are thrilled and humbled to be with you this evening. We were equally humbled  to listen to and absorb the heartfelt remarks from our comrades in Cuba, who are without  question authentic representations of Homeland Security. 

Our presence on this platform tonight, represents the importance and significance of full  spectrum engagement, which at this historical moment should never be diminished. A few  months ago, When we began a conversation with Brother Jorden Giger about Black Lives Matter  coming out against the monstrous US blockade on Cuba, a courageous and timely statement  followed up immediately by a teach in is exactly what we were hoping for. We also would like to  extend heartfelt appreciation to Karlene Griffiths Sekou, Sandy and the others who are part of Black Lives Matter’s international affairs branch for their contributions and labor towards this  program and also BLM’s statement against the blockade. These types of collaborative efforts  will serve as lessons to organizers up and coming organizers, the strategic value of engaging  frontline servants beyond your immediate circle, especially those who you are not ideologically  compatible with. 

While we understand the benefit of normalized relations between Cuba and the United States, it  is abundantly clear how challenging it is for US Imperialism to act humane, based on their  genocidal and terrorist foreign policy, this would truly be an out of body experience. It makes all the sense in the world, if when engaging US Imperialism diplomatically, that the  Cubans are as comfortable as a child in a room full of pedophiles. 

The recent pro-regime change disturbances in Cuba are the latest illustration of a political  culture of hatred and antagonism towards the Cuban revolution and people. The question is  how far back do we want to go? The terrorist activities of Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando  Bosch missed their marks. The 635 assassination attempts on the life of Commandante Fidel  Castro missed their marks. The false and unjust imprisonment of 5 Cuban patriots missed its  mark. The kidnapping of Elian Gonzalez missed its mark. The Bay of Pigs missed its mark. The formation of the Cuban American National Foundation and its terrorist cells Brother to the  Rescue and Alpha 66 missed its mark. The only thing left on the menu are regime change  activities in Cuba and false claims by US Imperialism that Cuba is involved in human trafficking.

Shooting at the Cuban embassy in Washington followed by the painting of the slogan Cuba  Libre by regime change agents missed its mark.  

The historical backdrop that contextualizes US Imperialism’s hatred for Cuba, is the first seven  US Presidents attempted but failed to annex Cuba. The resilience and fighting spirit of our  ancestors, prevented Cuba from ending up like California, Texas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin  Islands, Guam and other precious pieces of land that were annexed by US Imperialism. 

In the spirit of African and Cuban peoples never ending camaraderie and solidarity, let us  celebrate the appointing of three Cuban born Africans Comrades and Excellencies Salvador Valdes’ Mena, Ines Maria Chapman and Beatriz Johnson Urrutia to the ranks of Vice Presidents. Under no circumstances should these three patriots be mistaken for glorified runner  ups like someone else we know. The individual we know who occupies the same capacity  represents Black Excellence whereas the Cuban Born Africans appointments represent African  resistance. Daughters and Sons of Africa are fighting to transform the island of Black Excellence  to a training ground for African resistance. Let us praise Cuba for appointing Ambassador Pedro  Luis Pedroso Cuesta a Cuban born African to be their Permanent Representative at the United  Nations. It is not a coincidence that those who attack Cuba for downplaying racism,  conveniently forget these genuine examples of African political empowerment courtesy of the  Cuban revolution. 

These appointments challenge all of us to discuss Cuban born Africans without lumping them in  together politically. Their ideological distinctions must be acknowledged, accepted and  understood. 

The outlook of revolutionary patriots such as Antonio Maceo, the founders of Partido Independiente De Color, Juan Almeida, Nicholas Guillen, Harry Villegas and Victor Dreke are  clearly distinct from the perspectives of Ford Foundation pets like Carlos Moore, Hollywood  mouthpieces like Lars Alonzo or athletes like Guillermo Rigondeaux, Erislandy Lara, El Duche  Hernandez and all those who have attempted to reverse the fortunes of the Underground Railroad from freedom back to captivity. 

Daughters and Sons of Africa know this process all too well, in Kenya some fought with the Mau Mau while other Kenyans chose to fight with the King’s African Rifles. During the 2nd  Chimurenga in Zimbabwe, most of us fought with either ZANU or ZAPU, while others fought  with the British and Rhodesian Selous Scouts. Our Cuban Comrades remember firsthand that  most Angolans representing MPLA fought side by side with them for 14 years, while other  Angolans who fought with the CIA trained mercenary unit UNITA. The majority of  Mozambiquans fought with FRELIMO, while others fought with the CIA trained mercenaries  RENAMO. Our Congolese Sisters and Brothers will forever distinguish the great Patrice Emory  Lumumba, from the neo colonialist robot Mobutu Sese Seko, who assassinated him in cold  blood on the orders of the CIA. For this reason the majority of Daughters and Sons of Africa  worldwide, will never glorify Cuban born African regime change agents who have pledged loyalty  to the United States Agency for International Development, National Endowment for  Democracy, National Democratic Institute or the International Republican Institute. The African  decolonization process is part of the Cuban revolution and it will prevail, we have no doubts  about that. We will never glorify Cuban born Africans who chose the path of regime change  agents under any circumstances.

The camaraderie and solidarity we have with the Cuban people, force us to expose regime  change agents, in all their forms and manifestations. Their cultural makeup, religious/spiritual  beliefs or sexual preferences are immaterial. When the Civil/Human rights icon Bayard Rustin  turned his back on the struggle of US born Africans, and decided to support UNITA in Angola  because he claimed to be concerned about the rise of Cuba’s influence in Southern Africa, his being a homosexual was not our focus but the fact he betrayed the Civil/Human Rights  movement and became a mouthpiece of US Imperialism. 

Based on the disparity in voting on the illegal racist and immoral US blockade on Cuba for the  last 29 years, we say to US Imperialism that their condescending lectures on democracy now  more than ever fall on deaf ears. The only thing more ridiculous are geography lessons by  Christopher Columbus. 

The Zionist state of Israel is progressing to unseat Adolph Hitler as the symbol of global  terrorism and white supremacy, we are well aware of their slaughtering of Palestinians, bombing  Egyptians/Kemetians and Syrians, ignoring the sovereignty of Algeria and Tunisia, militarizing  Apartheid regimes throughout Southern Africa represent their horrific legacy, we urge that no  one present ever forgets their role in inflicting diplomatic terrorism on Cuba. We must demand  that the African Union strips Zionist Israel of its observer status. 

The Cuban Revolution is part and parcel of the collective and extended African experience,  which we include when celebrating the anti-colonial movement in Mother Africa, when we saw  37 nations between 1957 and 1960 gain their initial independence. 

We want to quickly make mention of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah being the first head of state  acknowledging the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser echoing  those exact sentiments on his heels, Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria ignoring JFK’s request to  cancel his trip to Cuba and the fact that the only other man besides Jose Marti that  Commandante Fidel Castro referred to as a revolutionary apostle was Ahmed Seku Ture of  Guinee. When Samora Machel’s plane came crashing to the ground, two Cuban doctors lost  their lives as well. When we discuss Cuban African relations, these examples seem too often are excluded from the account and narrative. 

This is why the attempts by US Imperialism to bend the arm of current Ghanaian President  Akufo-Addo to terminate the agreement to send Ghanaians to study at Cuba’s Latin American  School of Medical Sciences, because of the recent death of a Ghanaian student who passed on  in Cuba while training to become a Doctor will not be successful. 

On behalf of ZICUFA and the Get Out of Cuba Way Movement we must create in the African diaspora a resource pool for Cuba’s medical efforts on the African continent, giving us an  alternative to US imperialist vehicles like USAID, the Bush, Clinton, and Obama foundations, Bill  and Melinda Gates foundation. We will continue the fight to grant Cuba’s Henry Reeve Medical  Brigade access to US shores, which represents the collective will of North America to eradicate  the Corona pandemic.

We will not be discouraged by the Democratic Senator Bob Menendez to relaunch the Cuban  Medical Professional Parole Program which intercepted 7,117 doctors from Cuba, who  submitted to the enemies of the revolution that empowered them with the very skills and talents  they possess. This was done to discourage students born in North America to go to the Latin  American School of Medical Sciences to be trained and return to the slums of the USA and treat  the sick with honor and dignity, devoid of the quest for an opulent and luxurious lifestyle, which  unfortunately is the motivation for many young people to become Doctors in North America. 

We ask Black Lives Matter and others in attendance to join us in a demand for the restitution,  repair and redemption of the Cuban people in defense of their homeland and sovereignty. Both Commandates Fidel and Raul Castro demanded reparations from US Imperialism for the  damages of the blockade. As this year marks the 20th anniversary of the US Conference on  racism, xenophobia and other related intolerances, where Commadante Fidel Castro brilliantly  explained Cuba’s take on reparations, we seek and expect support on this effort on all those  who stand with the Cuban people and revolution. We thank you for the invite and hope our  remarks met your expectations. 

One Unified Socialist Cuba 

One Unified Socialist Africa


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Obi Egbuna Jr is the External Relations Officer of the Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association and the US Correspond to the Herald(Zimbabwe’s National Newspaper) his email is obiegbuna15@gmail.com

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