Sahrawi Minister in Ecuador thanks Cuba for solidarity

Havana, Nov 18 (RHC) The Minister of Education of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Jatri Aduh, thanked the solidarity that Cuba maintains today with its people under any circumstance.

Aduh, who is visiting Ecuador for the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between his country and the Latin American nation, participated in a discussion at the Cuban embassy in Quito dedicated to the issue of Western Sahara.

He stated that although Cuba's support is in all areas, education is where the presence and support has been felt most. He recalled how in the 1970s, 22 Sahrawis went to study in Cuba and currently there are thousands of graduates.

He also commented that thanks to the Cuban teachers, Spanish remains a second language in the RASD and highlighted the tripartite collaboration with Venezuela in the creation of the Simón Bolívar Institute.

The SADR ambassador to Ecuador, Hameiduha Ahmed Mohamed, stated that Cuba was the first country that opened its doors to the Sahrawis and referred to his personal experience of having been part of the first group of young people trained on the island.

In this regard, the Cuban ambassador to Ecuador, Basilio Gutiérrez, explained that his country's support for African independence has deep roots, and stressed that Cuba helped liberate the south of that continent without interventionist intentions.

He noted that the Cuban and Sahrawi people are victims of abuse and pressure from foreign powers. In the case of SADR, Morocco is the only obstacle for that people to be independent, while for Cuba the United States blockade is the main obstacle for its development.

The president of the Ecuadorian Association of Friendship with the Sahrawi People (Aeaps), Pablo de la Vega, and the leader of the Ecuadorian Coordinator of Friendship and Solidarity with Cuba also participated in the colloquium and explained how from different spaces, including the UN, they support the Sahrawi cause, a situation silenced by hegemonic means. (Source: PL)