Trending 
A group of South Africans staged a protest on Friday to back Cuba following the United States (US) oil blockade that has plunged the country into a series of blackouts and threatened economic activities in the island country.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reported that hundreds of people gathered outside the US Consulate General in Johannesburg for a rally organised by the ruling coalition’s largest partner, the African National Congress (ANC), along with other political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations.
Friday’s protest coincided with the 65th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a US-backed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro, the former president of Cuba.
The group criticised the United States over its continued oil restrictions on Cuba and drummed up support for Cubans who are bearing the brunt of the US’s actions.
The Deputy Secretary-General of South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, Nomvula Mokonyane, said Cuba, as a sovereign country, has the right to determine its policies without being subjected to US coercion.
She warned that the US-imposed oil embargo could lead to deaths in Cuba due to hunger or related causes, and demanded that the blockade be lifted.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 30, 2026, imposing tariffs on all goods imported from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba. According to the White House, this was aimed at protecting US national security and foreign policy interests against Cuba’s “harmful actions and policies.”
China has also supported Cuba against US pressures on the island country.
