This Thursday morning, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez of the Republic of Cuba placed two bouquets of red roses at the foot of the lists of internationalist combatants who fell in Angola. “Beloved Sons of the Homeland,” reads the banner that lists the names in the Museum of the Rebel Slave – formerly the Triunvirato Sugar Mill.
Inside the museum, alongside the belongings of those who gave their lives for humanitarian causes, a phrase spoken by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz—in the emblematic Cacahual Mausoleum—is deeply moving: “These men and women whom we honorably lay to rest today in the warm land that saw their birth, died for the most sacred values of our history and our Revolution.”
Moments before Díaz-Canel Bermúdez visited the Museum, just meters away, the Political Act and Military Ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the start of Cuba’s Internationalist Military Mission in the Republic of Angola, known in history as Operation Carlota, had taken place. Led by the Head of State, the event also included Roberto Morales Ojeda, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party; as well as with the head of the Ideological Department of the Central Committee, Yuniasky Crespo Baquero.
The commemoration in Matanzas began with the laying of three floral wreaths dedicated to the heroes and martyrs of Operation Carlota, on behalf of the Leader of the Revolution and Army General, Raúl Castro Ruz; the President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; and the Cuban people.
50th Anniversary of Operation Carlota
On November 5, 1975, in response to a direct and urgent appeal from the newly independent government of Angola, Cuba launched the internationalist Operation Carlota, a mission led by the sons and daughters of the largest of the Antilles to secure the independence of the sister nation and to hasten the fall of apartheid in South Africa.
Reserve Colonel Lázaro Oquendo Ordóñez, an internationalist combatant in the Republic of Angola, took to the podium this Thursday to declare that “the epic in Angola is inscribed among the most glorious pages of our nation’s history and of internationalism.” He added:
“More than 300,000 combatants had the high honor and privilege of providing solidarity and support to that brotherly nation, from the moment when its sovereignty, independence, and future were in danger, after centuries of colonial exploitation.”
“From Cabinda to Cunene,” the combatant said, “we were there, without hesitation.” He recalled that experienced and seasoned military leaders, young officers—many of them recent graduates—non-commissioned officers, sergeants, soldiers, and reservists accepted the challenge. And that “the participation of women as worthy heirs of Mariana was not lacking.”
Lázaro Oquendo Ordóñez affirmed: “We went to Angola out of conscience, out of conviction.” This was so, he stated, because the protagonists knew how to interpret “the meaning of standing alongside the Angolans, and together fighting to achieve and defend the dreams of building a new society.”
At another point in his recollection, he emphasized: “We returned to our homeland from Angola victorious, with our heads held high, proud to have fulfilled a fundamental duty and to have paid a debt to humanity. We also returned accompanied by the mortal remains of those who fell on the mission, to whom we pay the most heartfelt tribute.”
He did not overlook the turbulent situation the world is experiencing, which “deserves the utmost attention,” because “the imperial dreams of our surrender do not cease.” Therefore, from this platform, we reaffirm to the highest leadership of the country that we, the internationalist combatants in Angola, remain here, in combat, with the same spirit, the same conviction, the same readiness, ready to fulfill any mission assigned to us.”
On a morning of tribute attended by the Hero of the Republic of Cuba, Army Corps General Joaquín Quintas Solá, among other high-ranking officers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the Ministry of the Interior, the speaker stated that this mission reaffirmed the value of unity, as well as the trust in Fidel and Raúl, who had been attentive to every detail of the undertaking.
The keynote address at the political ceremony, which was also attended by young combatants, was delivered by Major General Víctor Rojo Ramos, head of the Political Directorate of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). He emphasized that they were gathered to commemorate a highly significant historical event, one that marked a turning point. He highlighted how Cubans “responded with courage and solidarity to the call of Angola, a sister nation fighting for its independence and freedom.”
Operation Cartola, he said, not only signified Cuba’s dedication and internationalist commitment but also its firm purpose of supporting justice and the self-determination of peoples. He emphasized that, “in those decisive years, thousands of Cuban combatants crossed seas and borders to join forces with the Angolans in a common cause: to build a sovereign future, free from foreign domination.”
“This heroic act transcended the military: it was a commitment to human dignity and to the revolutionary ideals we share.”
“We proudly remember every soldier, doctor, technician, and aid worker who, with sacrifice and dedication, contributed to Angola’s victory and strengthened the bonds of brotherhood between our peoples and nations.”
Operation Carlota, he affirmed, “is a living testament to Cuba’s unwavering commitment to fighting for social justice, beyond its borders.” He emphasized that, “half a century after that heroic effort, we reaffirm our commitment to international solidarity, the fight against all forms of neocolonialism, and respect for the sovereignty of nations.”
In that great epic that lasted 15 years and seven months, Cuba—Major General Víctor Rojo Ramos highlighted—“stood as a symbol of unwavering solidarity, loyalty to principles, seriousness in fulfilling commitments, and unyielding dignity in the face of our perennial enemies.”
At another point in his address, the head of the Political Directorate of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) stated that “the Cuban victory on African soil, in the words of Nelson Mandela, marked the turning point to free the continent, and South Africa specifically, once and for all from the scourge of Apartheid.”
Cuba commemorates an epic struggle that defended human dignity
50 years of Operation Carlota
In achieving this great selfless collaboration, the veteran said, “more than 300,000 compatriots stood guard or fought alongside Angolan patriots, of whom more than 2,000 lost their noble and generous lives in the line of duty.”
Regarding the current challenges facing the Island, from adverse forces such as the imperial blockade or the blows of nature, Víctor Rojo Ramos shared the certainty – always defended by the leaders of the Cuban Revolution – that the nobility of a brave and united people will surely lead to new triumphs.
IMAGE CREDIT: Photos: Estudios Revolución
[ SOURCE: GRANMA ]
