by Yadirys Echenique Paz, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Grenada
Cuba’s recent history cannot be understood without acknowledging the magnitude of the threats that have weighed upon the island to this day.
The economic blockade, media campaigns, and diplomatic pressures have all sought to isolate it. Yet, tens of thousands of people across the globe embrace the defence of Cuba, because it is also the defence of the dignity of nations.
From its earliest days, the Cuban Revolution became a beacon for progressive movements worldwide. Its example of steadfastness in the face of imperialism inspired generations of fighters in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, while also gaining sympathy among social sectors in Europe. The changes that followed the defeat of Batista’s tyranny were not merely domestic; the Revolution crossed borders and became a banner of progress that remains relevant today.
Cuba’s international projection after 1959 was not limited to symbolism. Over the past 6 decades, countless events have tied the history of the Cuban people to that of the so‑called Third World. From the early resistance of Cuban contingents against the US invasion of Grenada in October 1983, to the participation of tens of thousands of Cuban civilians and soldiers in liberation movements in Africa, the implementation of health programs such as Operación Milagro and education initiatives like Yo Sí Puedo in several countries, and the deployment of medical brigades to nations struck by natural disasters and pandemics — Cuba has written an exceptional story of international solidarity.
This vocation for solidarity has carried a human cost. Many Cuban internationalists gave their lives in distant lands, convinced that justice knows no borders. Their sacrifice is proof of the consistency of a project that does not stop at proclaiming principles, but turns them into concrete actions, visible in every battle fought beyond the homeland.
That is why, in times when threats intensify and smear campaigns multiply, defending Cuba also means defending justice and sovereignty for all peoples resisting external domination. Solidarity with the island becomes a shared struggle against hegemony. To stand against hostile US policies toward Cuba is to support the right of a people to live in peace and to decide their destiny free of impositions; it is to support the resilience of a nation where dreams and hopes continue to be forged for many around the world.
In the midst of a renewed offensive by US imperialism against Cuba in 2026 — marked by new energy sanctions and attempts at political destabilisation — international solidarity becomes an urgent necessity. Every statement, every march in defence of the Cuban Revolution, every manifesto denouncing aggression against Cuba is an act of defending sovereignty and justice. By contrast, those who choose silence in critical times risk being seen as complicit with the enemies of Cuban sovereignty.
Moments like these call us to remember Fidel Castro’s words on 8 May 1959: “Our Revolution needs the solidarity of other brotherly peoples (…) to become stronger, to become firmer, and to carry forward a programme of the broadest dimension.” That call remains valid today, because with the survival of this Revolution also survives a project of sovereignty, social justice, and solidarity worth defending — for Cuba and for the peoples of the world.
