Scholar greets Fidel Castro's return to public life, ANGOP, Angola Press, Aug 08, 2010

Luanda - Angolan scholar, Sebastião Isata, greeted today the health restoring and subsequent return to public activity of fomer cuban president Fidel Castro, considering him "a true friend (for angolans) even in uncertain times".


Commenting to Angop the increasing resumption of the public activities of the secretary general of the Cuban Communist Party, the angolan expert on international affairs stated that Cuba and Fidel Castro, in particular, have been no doubt good friends of Angola in the most difficult political times, recalling that Angola "succeeded to keep its independence and sovereignty, through to the support of the brotherly people of Cuba".


The friendship and solidarity linking Angola to Cuba dates back to the 60s, before Angola's independence, when Fidel Castro sent a delegation headed by Che Guevara to visit the military bases of the MPLA and of other national libetarion movements, he said.


This "immesurable solidarity" of the cuban people, according to Sebastião Isata, reached one of its highest points in 1975 when the invanding armies of Mobutu's Zaire and Apartheid South Africa attempted to prevent the procclamation of Angola's independence.


The political analyst highlighted the contribution of Fidel Castro in the strenghtening of Angola-Cuba relations not only in the battle field but also in the economic, health and education sectors.


Sebastião Isata also recalled that soon after independence, over 20,000 angolan nationals were sent to study in Cuba, including himself, where he graduated in international relations at the Raul Roa Garcia University.


He compared Fidel Castro to great orators like Cícero and Lenin staing that the cuban leader continues to be a "monument" for the cuban revolution.