The Nigeria Movement Of Solidarity With Cuba (NMSC) comprising the labour centres, pro-people Civil Society organisations and intellectuals, condole with the Cuban people on the murder of 32 Cuban internationalists by the United States.
The Cubans were killed on January 3, 2026 in Caracas while defending the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his wife, Cilia Flores and the Venezuelan sovereignty.
In line with their culture and honour, even when overwhelmed with the superior fire power of 150 invading aircraft and United States soldiers, the Cubans preferred to fight and die rather than surrender and give up President Maduro. This is in line with the admonition of Mexican humanist Emiliano Zapata who said: “It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees.”
The Cubans had showed same exceptional courage when during the 1983 invasion of tiny Grenada by the USA and six other countries, Cuban construction workers building the Point Salines airport refused to surrender. The invaders murdered twenty five of the Cuban workers, injured 59 and captured 683.
This unmatchable sense of duty and honour was also displayed by the Cubans when in 1988 they fought in Africa to free the continent from the forces of Apartheid backed by the Western powers including the US, and United Kingdom. Thousands of Cuban youths sacrificed their precious lives to liberate Angola, Namibia and South Africa from apartheid.
Beyond armed conflicts, the Cubans sense of duty to other humans is evident in the thousands of doctors and medical workers they had sent around the world including Nigeria. During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, Cuba was the only country that refused to shut its borders to the outside world. Rather, it took in 682 passengers from the British cruise ship, MS Braemer which had been hit by the coronavirus and was adrift in the Caribbean. It also sent over 3,700 medical personnel to assist 46 countries battle the virus.
We condone with the families of the those killed in Venezuela and pray that the souls of the Cuban 32 rest in power.
The NMSC also calls on the US Government to free President Maduro and his wife, respect international laws including the United Nations Charter and stop its invasion of countries and territories.
Equally, we join the United States General Assembly which has for thirty three consecutive years (except 2020 during Covid-19) voted that the USA lifts its unilateral sanctions and embargo against Cuba. Indeed, we demand that the USA lifts its sanctions against all countries including Venezuela.
Humanity deserves peace, progress and development not a cycle of conflicts, retrogression and general underdevelopment.
