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Protests Sweep South Africa in Support of Cuba
(MENAFN) Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Johannesburg on Friday in a show of solidarity with Cuba, as Washington's tightening oil embargo continues to squeeze the Caribbean nation's economy and daily life.
Protesters converged outside the US Consulate General, in a rally organized by the African National Congress (ANC) — the dominant force within South Africa's ruling coalition — joined by political parties, trade unions, and civil society groups, according to a state broadcaster.
The demonstration was timed to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the ill-fated US-backed operation in which Cuban exiles attempted to topple Fidel Castro's government — a moment that continues to define the fraught relationship between Washington and Havana.
ANC Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane delivered a sharp rebuke of US policy, insisting that Cuba, as a sovereign nation, should be able to determine its policies without being subjected to US coercion. She warned that the oil blockade risked triggering a humanitarian catastrophe, cautioning it could lead to deaths in Cuba due to hunger or related causes, and demanded that the blockade be lifted immediately.
The embargo traces back to January 30, when US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on all goods imported from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba. The White House framed the measure as a safeguard for US national security and foreign policy interests against Cuba's "harmful actions and policies."
On February 1, Trump claimed that negotiations with Cuban authorities on regulating oil supply had already begun — an assertion flatly denied by Havana. Faced with mounting pressure, the Cuban government subsequently activated an emergency package to sustain operations amid disruptions in external oil supplies.
Speaking Friday, Trump projected confidence, declaring that a "new dawn" is coming in Cuba, arguing that American "strength" would soon deliver change to the island nation after 70 years.
Protesters converged outside the US Consulate General, in a rally organized by the African National Congress (ANC) — the dominant force within South Africa's ruling coalition — joined by political parties, trade unions, and civil society groups, according to a state broadcaster.
The demonstration was timed to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the ill-fated US-backed operation in which Cuban exiles attempted to topple Fidel Castro's government — a moment that continues to define the fraught relationship between Washington and Havana.
ANC Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane delivered a sharp rebuke of US policy, insisting that Cuba, as a sovereign nation, should be able to determine its policies without being subjected to US coercion. She warned that the oil blockade risked triggering a humanitarian catastrophe, cautioning it could lead to deaths in Cuba due to hunger or related causes, and demanded that the blockade be lifted immediately.
The embargo traces back to January 30, when US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on all goods imported from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba. The White House framed the measure as a safeguard for US national security and foreign policy interests against Cuba's "harmful actions and policies."
On February 1, Trump claimed that negotiations with Cuban authorities on regulating oil supply had already begun — an assertion flatly denied by Havana. Faced with mounting pressure, the Cuban government subsequently activated an emergency package to sustain operations amid disruptions in external oil supplies.
Speaking Friday, Trump projected confidence, declaring that a "new dawn" is coming in Cuba, arguing that American "strength" would soon deliver change to the island nation after 70 years.
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