During President Mbumba’s meeting with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez in the Cuban capital of Havana on Tuesday, the Namibian leader emphasized his steadfast support for Cuba despite the unilateral economic sanctions the United States has imposed on its neighbor for decades.
“I would like to reassure the government and the people of Cuba of Namibia’s unwavering commitment and support during these difficult times,” Mbumba said, as he continued on his two-day visit to Cuba.
“Namibia will continue to offer its support to the people of Cuba for the unconditional lifting of the unilateral economic blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States of America for the past 60 years, including for the removal of Cuba from the so-called list of State Sponsors of International Terrorism,” he added.
The Namibian president went on to reveal intentions for continued partnership between the two countries, as seen on Sputnik.
“We have decided to elevate the Cuba-Namibia Joint Working Group Meeting to an Intergovernmental Commission for bilateral cooperation and will be signing the memorandum of understanding,” he stated.
On Monday, both leaders agreed to form an Intergovernmental Commission to enhance relations between their two nations.
The president of the Republic of Cuba facilitated the signing ceremony alongside his Namibian counterpart, as reported by the Cuban News Agency.
“The brotherhood ties between Cuba and Namibia are deep and historic and in March 2025 they will reach the 35th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between the two countries,” the report states.
Additionally, as per Sputnik, Namibia is one of the nations that agreed to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of International Terrorism during the 79th United Nations General Assembly.
John Mutorwa, Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Transport, participated in the conversations.
Cuba vs the United States
The United States instituted an embargo on Cuba in 1962 in reaction to what it called “the Cuban missile crisis,” and it has been in effect for 60 years.
The Cuban Missile Crisis (October 16–28, 1962) was a pivotal moment in the Cold War, bringing the world the closest it has ever been to a full-scale nuclear conflict.
It was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba.
In 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev decided to place nuclear missiles in Cuba to counter the presence of US missiles in Turkey and Italy, and protect Cuba from future US invasion attempts.
Prior to this, there had been a debacle between both countries, simply known today as the bay of pigs invasion.
The pay of pigs invasion (April 17–20, 1961) was a failed military operation by the United States to overthrow Fidel Castro’s revolutionary government in Cuba.
Orchestrated by the CIA, the invasion involved Cuban exiles and mercenaries but ended in a disastrous defeat. It remains one of the most significant foreign policy blunders in US history.
