Cuba Honors Belarusian Official, Canada Sanctions Him for Global Threat
The Cuban Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Álvaro López Miera, presents Viktor Gulevich with the Antonio Maceo Order. Source: Ministry of Defense of Belarus / Telegram / Diario de Cuba
By Michael Lima, March 21, 2024.
The Canadian Belarusian community, along with the large Canadian Ukrainian diaspora and other Canadians targeted by Vladimir Putin's blacklist, should be aware that the Cuban regime is a key ally of Russia in the invasion of Ukraine. From Democratic Spaces, we make a moral appeal to all these communities and individuals for them not to contribute to investments or visits to Cuba. Any investment in Cuba, whose regime, due to its dictatorial nature, is not accountable to the people, is invested in the repression of the Cuban people, in exporting its system to Venezuela, and in helping Russia to endanger international peace and security.
On Tuesday, March 19th, the Minister of Defense of Cuba, Álvaro López Miera, awarded the Antonio Maceo Medal to the First Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus, Viktor Gulevich, during his visit to Cuba to "deepen military cooperation" between both regimes. Additionally, they confirmed mutual interest in further strengthening the Belarusian-Cuban partnership. This marks the second visit by a high-ranking Belarusian military official to Cuba in 2024, following Viktor Jrenin's visit in January, who serves as the Defense Minister of Belarus.
Viktor Vladimirovich Gulevich serves as the Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus. In this capacity, he supported, supervised, and publicly commented on joint Belarusian-Russian military exercises that prepared and facilitated Russian military aggression on February 24, 2022. Therefore, he is responsible for actively supporting actions that undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in the region.
While the Cuban regime awards Gulevich the Antonio Maceo Medal in recognition of “extraordinary merits in operations, high combat qualities, or the training and preparation of their command staff, the Government of Canada has included Viktor Vladimirovich Gulevich in the list of members of the Belarusian regime and entities that “constitute a serious breach of international peace and security, leading to a serious international crisis.”
It is time for Canada, not only to include Belarusian officials on its sanctions list but also include key allies of Vladimir Putin in the war against Ukraine, including the Minister of the Armed Forces of Cuba, Álvaro López Miera, the Minister of the Interior of Cuba, and other perpetrators of internal repression in Cuba and allies of Vladimir Putin in the criminal invasion of Ukraine, as officially requested by Democratic Spaces and Cubadecide promoters to Global Affairs Canada.
Since May 2023, Cuba and Belarus, a Russian satellite country serving as a Russian military base in the invasion of Ukraine, have signed a military agreement for the training of Cuban military personnel on Belarusian territory. Given the context of Cuban regime support for Russia, many deduce that this training is linked to the involvement of Cuban military personnel in the invasion of Ukraine.
According to Beita, the official Belarusian news agency, in November 2023, representatives of the Armed Forces of both countries agreed on a "Military Cooperation Agreement and Bilateral Activities Plan for 2024," in which the Cuban regime expressed interest in the supply of Belarusian weaponry, including Polonez missile launchers with a range of 300 kilometers. Sputnik, closely linked to the Kremlin like Minsk (Belarus, a key ally in the Ukraine invasion), labels the Polonez rocket launchers as Europe's top weaponry.
The Cuban regime, historically known for monopolizing Cuban national symbols and arrogantly positioning themselves as the absolute interpreters of Cuban history, has awarded medals named after heroes of Cuban independence to the most notorious dictators and global killers.
The list of oppressors responsible for atrocious crimes who have received the José Martí Medal is extensive and shameful, including Leonid Brezhnev from the Soviet era, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Nicolás Maduro, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin and Xi Xinping. Now joining this list, but with the Antonio Maceo Medal, is the First Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus, Viktor Gulevich.
Michael Lima is a human rights activist and an expert in Cuban and Latin American history and politics. He has lectured on modern Latin American history, holds a Master’s Degree/Ph.D. candidacy in Latin American History from the University of Toronto, and is the founder of Democratic Spaces, an NGO seeking solidarity in Canada with human rights defenders and civil society in Cuba.
