Wednesday, 22 April 2026

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calls on the international community, progressive movements, and all nations that have benefited from the solidarity of the Republic of Cuba to urgently mobilise material and financial support for the Cuban people.

Cuba is currently facing a deepening humanitarian crisis marked by severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and electricity. Hospitals are struggling to access essential medical supplies, basic goods are increasingly scarce, and ordinary Cuban citizens are enduring prolonged power outages and deteriorating living conditions.

The situation has reached critical levels, with vulnerable communities, particularly the elderly and children, bearing the heaviest burden of this escalating crisis.

The current suffering of the Cuban people is not accidental, nor is it the result of internal failure. It is the direct consequence of a sustained and deliberate economic war waged by the United States over decades, intensified in recent years to strangle the Cuban economy. This illegal blockade has restricted access to food, medicine, and international markets, placing immense pressure on ordinary citizens. The imperialist agenda seeks to punish Cuba for its commitment to socialist principles championed by revolutionary leaders such as Fidel Castro.

Having failed to break the revolutionary spirit of the Cuban people through isolation and aggression, Trump-led imperial forces are now deepening a humanitarian crisis in an attempt to manufacture discontent and ultimately impose regime change. This cynical strategy weaponises suffering in order to undermine a sovereign nation that has refused to bow to capitalist domination.

For decades, Cuba has stood as a beacon of international solidarity, extending its limited resources to assist humanity beyond its borders. From sending highly skilled medical brigades across the Global South to providing educators and disaster relief, Cuba has consistently prioritised human dignity over profit.

Countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, including South Africa, have directly benefited from Cuban medical assistance, with thousands of doctors trained and deployed to serve the poor and working class where capitalist systems have failed.

Beyond healthcare, Cuba has played a decisive role in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. Its military and political support to African liberation movements, including South Africa, helped weaken the apartheid regime and accelerate the liberation of South Africa. The democratic government of South Africa, and indeed the entire nation, stands indebted to the people of Cuba for their principled and selfless commitment to our freedom. It is therefore both a moral obligation and a historic responsibility that the government of South Africa now rise to support Cuba in its hour of need.

The EFF additionally calls on the people of South Africa, and all progressive organisations to act in solidarity with Cuba. We urge South Africans to make direct contact with the Cuban Embassy in South Africa to find out how to contribute donations to alleviate the hardships faced by the Cuban people.

Now is the time to repay a historic debt and stand with Cuba as it has always stood with us.