Cuba's Rape Of Angola: A Historical Account

The Cuban intervention in Angola, codenamed Operation Carlota, began on 5 November 1975, when Cuba sent combat troops to support the communist-aligned People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) against the pro-Western National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA). The intervention came after the outbreak of the Angolan Civil War, which occurred after Angola was granted independence from Portugal.

The civil war quickly became a proxy war between the Eastern Bloc, led by the Soviet Union, and the Western Bloc, led by the United States. South Africa and the United States backed UNITA and the FNLA, while communist nations backed the MPLA. Cuba's involvement proved decisive in helping the MPLA win the initial phase of conventional fighting, oust the FNLA from Luanda, and become the de facto Angolan government.

The conflict is notable due to the combination of Angola's violent internal dynamics and the exceptional degree of foreign military and political involvement. The war is widely considered a Cold War proxy conflict, with Cuba's role in Angola leaving a lasting impact on the conscience of the world.

Cuba's intervention in Angola was a response to South Africa's invasion

Cuba's intervention in Angola was a direct response to South Africa's invasion of the country.

In 1975, Angola was granted independence from Portugal, sparking a civil war between three rival independence movements: the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA). The MPLA was backed by the Soviet Union, while the UNITA and FNLA were supported by the US and South Africa.

In September 1975, the MPLA was winning the civil war, prompting South Africa to invade Angola, with the encouragement of Washington. The South Africans were on the verge of crushing the MPLA when 36,000 Cuban soldiers poured into Angola.

The CIA later concluded that the intervention was a "unilateral Cuban operation designed in great haste", and that Castro had dispatched the soldiers without consulting the Kremlin.

The Cuban intervention turned the tide of the war, pushing the South Africans back into neighbouring Namibia. The Cuban-backed MPLA government welcomed guerrillas from Namibia, South Africa, and Rhodesia, and the conflict became a tripartite effort: the Cubans provided most of the instructors, the Soviets the weapons, and the Angolans the land.

Cuba's intervention in Angola was a direct response to South Africa's invasion, and the Cuban troops played a crucial role in shaping southern Africa's history.

The US knew about South Africa's invasion plans and collaborated with them

The United States knew about South Africa's plans to invade Angola and collaborated with them.

The United States knew about South Africa's plans to invade Angola, and collaborated with them. John Stockwell, a former CIA officer, confirmed that there was "close liaison between the CIA and the South Africans". In addition, "high officials" in Pretoria claimed that their intervention in Angola had been based on an "understanding" with the United States.

The United States' collaboration with South Africa was also confirmed by Robert Hultslander, the former CIA station chief in Luanda, who stated that the US "certainly did not discourage" South Africa's intervention. Furthermore, the CIA helped the South Africans ferry arms to key battlefronts.

The United States' involvement in South Africa's invasion plans was also alluded to by Holden Roberto, the leader of the FNLA, who was on the CIA's payroll since 1963.

Cuba's intervention was not pre-arranged with the USSR

Cuba's intervention in Angola was not pre-arranged with the USSR. The deployment of troops was a surprise to the USSR, which was forced to accept the Cuban troop deployment to maintain relations with its most important ally. The USSR had in mind to keep a lid on the extent of the Cuban engagement and sent arms and a few specialists to Brazzaville and Dar-es-Salaam. It was only after the fighting swung in favour of the Cubans and the U.S. passed the Clark Amendment that Moscow agreed to a degree of support by arranging for a maximum of 10 transport flights from Cuba to Angola.

Cuba's intervention was not motivated by economic gain

Cuba's intervention in Angola was not motivated by economic gain. Cuba's primary motivation was to support the communist-aligned People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) against the pro-Western National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA). Cuba's intervention was also a response to the South African invasion of Angola and was intended to prevent South Africa from making itself comfortable in Angola.

Cuba's foreign policy was motivated by both idealism and realpolitik. Cuba publicly justified its interventions into foreign conflicts for a number of reasons, including spreading their revolutionary ideas, aiding "liberation movements" fighting for independence, and protecting the territorial sovereignty of allied nations.

Cuba's intervention in Angola was also driven by its anti-imperialist stance and its support for the Organisation of African Unity's emphasis on border protection and African independence. Cuba's intervention in Angola was part of its broader foreign policy of providing direct military assistance to those who shared the same ideology and to resistance movements.

Cuba's intervention in Angola was not driven by economic gain but by its ideological commitment to supporting revolutionary movements and protecting the sovereignty of allied nations.

Cuba's intervention was motivated by anti-racism

Cuba's intervention in Angola was motivated by anti-racism and anti-imperialism. Cuba's foreign policy was motivated by both idealism and realpolitik. Cuba's leader Fidel Castro stated:

> Our Revolution is not a revolution of millionaires. Instead, it is one carried out by the poor, and is one which dreams of ensuring the well-being not only of our own poor, but rather of all the poor in this world. And that is why we talk of internationalism.

Cuba was a strong supporter of the Organization for African Unity's emphasis on border protection and African independence. Cuba's first informal contacts with the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) dated back to the late 1950s. MPLA guerrillas received their first training from Cubans in Algiers starting in 1963. Cuba's intervention in Angola was also motivated by anti-racism. Cuba strongly opposed the US-supported white minority rule in South Africa.

Cuba's intervention in Angola was also motivated by anti-imperialism. Cuba perceived its interventions to be a method of directly combating the international influence of the United States. Cuba also sought to place its troops into international conflicts in order to build combat expertise among their ranks.

Cuba's intervention in Angola was also motivated by a desire to protect the territorial sovereignty of allied nations. Cuba was the only economically lesser-developed nation with extensive military intervention in Africa.

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