Cuba and Palestine: A brotherhood forged in struggle

London welcomed Aleida Guevara March, daughter of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and honorary niece of Fidel Castro, on Tuesday. March discussed the brotherhood Cuba and Palestine have forged against imperialism.

An internationally respected anti-imperialist activist and a paediatrician, March has participated in medical missions in countries such as Ecuador, Angola and Nicaragua, embodying her father’s philosophy of socialism by contributing to Cuba’s medical internationalism.

Speaking through a translator, March acknowledged the tumultuous time we are all facing since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. She offered hope for the dark times to come, highlighting that as Trump continues to incite violence and destroy the foundations of human rights, he has unknowingly achieved something her father Che sought after his entire life; the unification of the globe against the American imperialist force.

“The more difficult the situation, even to the point of exhaustion by need to resist, comes along a president like today and starts saying barbarities and commits them, he provokes the unity of the people! And those that were exhausted rise, because when we learn to live with dignity, no one can force us to lower our heads again!” March said.

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She closed her speech with a powerful rendition of ‘Cultivo Una Rosa Blanca’, an infamous anti-imperialist Cuban poem, earning her the only standing ovation of the night. She reminded listeners not to find oratory as the completion of activism – “words are wonderful, but words can be carried away by the wind. What matters is what we do, and we must help in the reconstruction of [Palestine].”

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Director Ben Jamal echoed her call, stressing how marches must continue, to disrupt the status quo on the streets of London. He said this is as relevant today as it was at the start of the genocide.

Jamal explained that when he spoke to Cuban activists regarding the PSC’s national rallies, the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) spokespeople said: “We also march in Cuba for Palestine, but the difference is, in Cuba our marches are led by the president.”

American and Israeli lobbies hope that the ceasefire deal will dampen international efforts in support of Palestinian liberation, Co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, Omar Barghouti, added. We cannot allow the brutalisation of Palestinian to slip from the forefront of our minds, he stressed, as this empowers the occupier to begin onslaughts in the occupied West Bank as it is doing today.

Despite enduring 60 years of US state sanctions, Cuba has maintained initiatives such as scholarships for Palestinian medics, with Health Workers 4 Palestine CEO, Amira Nimerawi, emphasising the significance of this.

The night concluded with the reminder that solidarity against the oppression of Cuba goes hand in hand with the Palestinian cause. Both campaigns are the consequence of imperialist intervention, but together become a stronger force for resistance.

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