The sea separates them; it is a physical distance. But there are historical and emotional ties that make Cuba and Angola two sister nations, two members of a single family.
That is what a young African man once told this reporter: blood is thicker than water. And that intense statement emerged beautifully on Tuesday afternoon, while the Palace of the Revolution celebrated the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of Angola’s independence and diplomatic relations with the largest of the Antilles.
From the Portocarrero Hall, and in the presence of the President of the National Defense Council, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, it was beautiful to hear Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera—member of the Political Bureau and Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces—say that “yesterday we shared the trenches” and that today “we are proud that Angola is the African country where Cuba has the most diverse and numerous collaboration.”
Moments before the commemoration ceremony began—which was attended by other members of the Political Bureau, Party leaders, the government, the Union of Young Communists, mass organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior, the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, among other guests—President Díaz-Canel exchanged warm greetings with representatives of the diplomatic corps who had come to participate in the celebration.
In the formal Hall of Heroes, the dignitary met with friends from Angola, Djibouti, Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, South Africa, Jamaica, Namibia, Mozambique, and Guinea. Díaz-Canel told them: “In addition to greeting you, I have a message from Raúl—who knew you would be at the event—to give you his greetings and a hug.”
This was the prelude to the ceremony in the Portocarrero Hall, where His Excellency Carlos Cruz de Lemos Sardinha, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to Cuba, was also present.

At the beginning of the ceremony, it was recalled that on November 6, in a ceremony led by the president of the sister nation of Angola, Joao Manuel Gonzálves Lourenco, medals of the “Honor” class, the highest distinction, were awarded to Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution.
When Ambassador Carlos Cruz de Lemos Sardinha shared a speech marked by affection, he said he was overcome with emotion at having the responsibility, as his nation’s representative in the Caribbean country. He extended heartfelt gratitude to his “sisters and brothers of the beautiful island” for the commemorative event and emphasized that Cuba has always given the African nation the utmost support.
The diplomat dedicated words to the friendship between the two peoples, which, he said, has not been hindered by geographical distance. He reminded Cubans who crossed the Atlantic to fight for Angola that new generations should know how the island supported the African nation in a difficult time, even though the Caribbean country was already suffering the consequences of the imperial blockade.
He thanked Cuba for its example of solidarity and for standing firm. He assured everyone present that the Caribbean country’s efforts and sacrifices on behalf of Angola were not in vain.
The keynote address was given by Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera, who said at the beginning of his speech: “We gather today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Angola’s independence, a milestone of freedom that resonated throughout Africa and the world.
“On November 11, 1975, Angola, the largest and richest of the Portuguese colonies, broke the chains of colonialism with the dignity and courage of its people, rising up as a sovereign nation and writing an enduring chapter in the history of African liberation and decolonization.”
The member of the Political Bureau recalled that independence was proclaimed under siege from the north by the Zairean army, with mercenary forces reinforced by South African military machinery, which were attempting to occupy Luanda; and from armored columns of segregationist South Africa, which were advancing rapidly from the south in an equal race to conquer the capital.
“At that moment of the gestation of a sovereign and free Angola,” added Álvaro López Miera, “Cuban internationalist combatants, under Fidel’s guidance, responded to the call of the president of the MPLA, Dr. Agostinho Neto, to support the struggle against the invading forces that sought to stifle the cry for independence.
“This epic act of solidarity, initiated by 480 Cuban military instructors in the summer of 1975, took shape with Operation Carlota, which began weeks later, on November 5, and whose 50th anniversary we celebrated a few days ago.”
The Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces said that the combatants and the people of Cuba responded to the fraternal call because, as Fidel said, “to be internationalists is to pay our own debt to humanity.”
At another point in his speech, the senior military leader stated that “Angola’s independence and the enormous sacrifice of its people to preserve it transformed this sister nation into a beacon of hope for oppressed peoples, a symbol of resistance and staunch defense of emancipation, and also of economic and social development.”
Because Cuba continues to extend its internationalist hand in hospitals, classrooms, the construction sector, and other areas, the speaker assured that “Operation Carlota did not end; it was transformed. The sacrifice and legacy of those who fought lives on in every cooperation project and in every look of gratitude.”
Art—which also crossed the Atlantic to provide spiritual support to Cuban troops during that unforgettable epic—was also part of Tuesday’s commemoration ceremony. Two highly prestigious artists accompanied the emotional afternoon: the musical Beatriz Márquez and Pancho Amat.