Hundreds March in South Africa in Support of Cuba
According to a state broadcaster , the crowd assembled outside the US Consulate General in Johannesburg for a rally organized by the African National Congress (ANC) — the dominant force within South Africa's ruling coalition — alongside political parties, trade unions, and civil society groups.
The demonstration was timed to mark the 65th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the failed 1961 attempt by US-backed Cuban exiles to topple Fidel Castro's government. Protesters directed their anger at Washington's oil restrictions, voicing firm support for the Cuban people.
ANC Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane took a firm stance on the matter, asserting that Cuba, as a sovereign nation, should be free to chart its own course without facing coercion from Washington. Mokonyane further cautioned that the embargo risked costing lives on the island through hunger and related consequences, and called unequivocally for the blockade to be lifted.
The crisis traces back to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump on Jan. 30, 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."
Trump claimed on Feb. 1 that negotiations with Cuban authorities over oil supply regulation had already begun — an assertion Havana flatly denied. Since then, the Cuban government has activated an emergency package aimed at sustaining essential operations in the face of mounting disruptions to external fuel supplies.
On Friday, Trump offered a pointed message toward the island, declaring that a "new dawn" is coming in Cuba and arguing that American "strength" would soon deliver change to the island nation after 70 years.
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