The United States is becoming increasingly schizophrenic as it tramples on territories around the world. One of the first instances was when it imposed increased tariffs on many countries as a political weapon to cow the world. Over 90 countries have been affected with Brazil, whose President, Lula Da Silva, stood up to President Donald Trump, being clamped with tariffs as high as 50 per cent. India is also set to be hit with the same per cent.
Tariffs against China were delayed after the inheritors of Chairman Mao hit with counter tariffs. Trump had tried to force neighbouring Canada to give up its sovereignty by dissolving into the US and becoming its 51st state. When the bullying did not seem to be working, that country was slammed with a 35 per cent tariff, while another US neigbour, Mexico, also suffered the same increase for being allegedly stubborn.
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Quiet Switzerland which might have unknowingly irked Trump, was slapped with a a 39 per cent tariff.
To check this seeming madness, the US Supreme Court ruled on 20 February that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are illegal and that Trump needs “clear congressional authorisation” to role them out.
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Trump responded that the US Supreme Court was talking rubbish and that some of the justices are a “disgrace” to the country. Rather than comply, he announced a blanket 10 per cent higher tariff on the world.
In the last 14 months, the US had threatened to seize the Panama Canal and occupy Greenland even if it will lead to armed conflict with its NATO allies. It has bombed Iran and now threatens it with annihilation. It has also expressed deep anger that Norway did not award Trump the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize even when the award is not given by the Norwegian government. Equally, the US has invaded Venezuela and abducted President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, holding them hostage in New York. It has also threatened to invade Colombia, Mexico and Nicaragua.
But Trump has his eyes particularly trained on Cuba saying: “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall.”
But virtually all parts of the world have risen strongly in defence of Cuba. This is not surprising as 165 countries on 29 October, 2025, voted in the United Nations General Assembly demanding the US ends its unilateral and illegal embargo on the island nation imposed since 1962. This universal resolution has been passed annually in the UN for the past thirty three years!
Equally, all African countries who have made similar demands in the last seventeen years, met on February 15, 2026 not just to ask the US to backway from Cuba, but also to remove it from the list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism.
One of the peoples that have consistently taken a principled position against US embargo and attacks on Cuban sovereignty, are Nigerians.
On Tuesday, 24 February mass organisations in the country, including the two labour centres: the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, as well as civil society coalitions, political activists and veterans of the pro-democracy struggles, gathered in Abuja in an hybrid conference on Cuba.
Organised by the 42-year-old Nigeria Solidarity Movement with Cuba (NSMC), they explained why Africans see Cuba as part of the continent and why Nigerians overwhelmingly back Cuba against American aggression.
Former Interior Minister and Honourary President of the solidarity movement, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, explained that Cuba had in the last six decades consistently sacrificed for the betterment of humanity. He added: “We cannot but be historically grateful to a people who lost about four thousand of their youths under African skies fighting for the liberation of our continent. Besides, as you may know, 90 percent of Cubans are of African descent which was why the unforgettable Fidel Castro said of Cuba: ‘We are a Latin-American nation and a Latin-African nation as well”.
On why international support is more urgent now, Aregbesola explained: “As we hold this conference, Cuba is being asphyxiated by the US … It is in the enlightened self-interest of humanity to stand by Cuba.”
The TUC President Festus Osifo said the workers movement “firmly believes that no nation should be subjected to external interference, coercive measures, or economic blockades that undermine its sovereignty and the welfare of its people.”
The President of the NLC, Africa’s largest labour centre, Joe Ajaero, made a declaration: “To the people of Cuba: You are not alone. Your struggle for sovereignty is the world’s struggle for justice. We stand with you, in solidarity, until the blockade ends and your right to self-determination is fully respected.”
The former President of the West Africa Bar Association, WABA, Femi Falana (SAN) told Nigerians: “Having regard to the unqualified contribution of Cuba to the independence struggle of the African people, all African countries owe it a duty to assist Cuba to defend its sovereignty under international law.”
The Legal Adviser to the solidarity movement, Femi Aborishade declared: “The debt we owe Cuba can never be fully repaid. We can only symbolically show the spirit that we recognise what Cuba has unconditionally and willingly sacrificed for the oppressed peoples of the world, particularly in Africa.
We need to discuss, agree and execute concrete solidarity actions to support Cuba. Cuba needs concrete political support, Cuba needs concrete material support.”
The leader of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, submitted that: “Cuba is a small country that has given dignity to the people.” Nigerians, he said, should do crowd funding as they used to do for the liberation movements during Apartheid.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) National Secretary Achike Chude said all human beings are born with inalienable rights, including those to dignity and that the Cubans not only have these rights, but all must ensure they are protected.
Professor Al-Bishak, an internationally renowed intellectual on Black Studies argued that the international rally is important as: “Cuba has inspired many underdeveloped countries to fight for their survival because of its determination to ward off external aggression and economic blockade from imperialist countries of Eurasia.”
The Nigerian gathering demanded that the US embargo and all sanctions against Cuba be lifted in accordance with standing UN resolutions and, that the world body should sanction the US if it fails to do so.
It also demanded that the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and wife, Cilia Flores should be freed and that Nigeria, Angola and South Africa have the duty to provide Cuba with urgent fuel and humanitarian supplies.
The solidarity movement announced a new leadership chaired by one of its founders, Comrade Salisu Nuhu Mohammed with a mandate to carry out solidarity actions in support of Cuba and strengthen links with the Cuba solidarity movements across Africa.
Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.
