Akpabio Wecome Minister Of Foreign Affairs Of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez Parilla: Full Speech

Akpabio wecome minister of foreign affairs of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez Parilla in his full speech says. It is with the utmost honor and warmth that I welcome you to Nigeria.

Your visit is not merely a gesture of diplomacy but a reaffirmation of the enduring bonds between our two nations—bonds forged in the fire of history, strengthened by shared struggles, and sealed by an unyielding commitment to justice and sovereignty.

Nigeria and Cuba have stood together for decades—not as strangers bound by convenience, but as allies bound by principle.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1974, our two nations have championed the cause of self-determination, equality, and the right of all peoples to govern themselves, free from coercion or subjugation. We have upheld the right of every nation to be the master of its own destiny.

And we remember. Africa remembers. When the forces of oppression sought to choke the life out of an entire continent, when apartheid reigned as an insult to human dignity, when nations wavered and hesitated—Cuba did not. Cuba stood with Africa. Cuba fought for Africa.

At great sacrifice, Cuba sent its sons to Africa—not as conquerors, not as exploiters, but as liberators. In Angola, in Namibia, in South Africa, Cuba’s courage and solidarity became one of the shields behind which Africa gathered its strength.

Your iconic statesman and former president, Fidel Castro, put it succinctly at the 12th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Durban, South Africa, on September 2, 1998, when he said: “The blood of Cuban internationalists was shed for Africa, alongside the blood of Africans.

It was shed in defense of Africa’s sovereignty and independence. It was shed in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid.

Africa is in our hearts. The Cuban people hold the people of Africa in the highest regard. We are brothers and sisters.”

The decisive role Cuba played in dismantling the apartheid regime’s military strongholds and in the defeat of apartheid and colonial rule shall never be forgotten. And today, as we stand free, as the chains of oppression lie broken, we say this: Nigeria will always remember. Africa will always remember.

Your Excellency, this visit presents yet another opportunity to deepen our ties. Nigeria is eager to explore new frontiers of cooperation with Cuba—in trade, education, healthcare, technology, and culture. Together, we can build a future where the prosperity of our peoples is no longer dictated by external forces but by our own ingenuity and determination.

We are also united in our commitment to global peace, security, and a new international order—one that respects the sovereignty of all nations, big or small. As members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77 plus China, we share a common vision of a world where no nation is subjected to economic strangulation simply for choosing its own path.

And on this matter, let me be unequivocal: Nigeria opposes, in the strongest terms, the unjust economic embargo imposed on Cuba. The world must recognize that no man-made embargo can compare to the boundless gifts of nature—air, water, land—all freely given by God. When properly harnessed, these gifts are sufficient to overcome any embargo. Economic blockades are relics of the past, tools of coercion unworthy of the modern world, and grave violations of international law.

Time and again, Nigeria has stood in the halls of the United Nations, casting its vote in defiance of injustice, demanding an end to this siege upon the Cuban people. We recognize the hardship these sanctions have inflicted, and we extend not only our sympathy but our unwavering solidarity.

Akpabio and Bruno Rodriguez Parilla

As José Martí, that towering figure of Cuban resistance, once declared: “Liberty is the right of every man to be honest, to think and to speak without hypocrisy.” Cuba has exercised that right—at great cost, but with unbroken will. And so long as Cuba stands for its dignity, Nigeria shall stand with Cuba.

This visit must mark not only a renewal of our friendship but the beginning of an even stronger alliance—one that translates our shared history into shared progress, our solidarity into economic strength, and our struggles into lasting victories.

To the Cuban people, we say this: Nigeria has not forgotten, and Nigeria will not falter. Together, we move forward—undaunted, unafraid, and unyielding.

Your Excellency, welcome to Nigeria. May this visit be the dawn of greater things to come.