The Cuban Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces, Joaquín Quintas Solá, held discussions on Monday with Said Chanegriha, the Chief of Staff of the Algerian Army, during an official visit aimed at strengthening military cooperation between the two countries. At the welcome ceremony, Chanegriha emphasized the collaboration between Cuba and Algeria in creating a new momentum for military cooperation, which Quintas Solá hopes will be "fruitful and beneficial," according to the EFE news agency.
Additionally, the Algerian military leader underscored the shared ambition of both nations to establish a global movement advocating for the interests of developing countries. He also highlighted cooperation rooted in "mutual assistance, solidarity, and support for oppressed peoples and just causes," specifically mentioning the Palestinian and Sahrawi issues.
Health and Military Discussions
The meeting follows a Sunday session where General Quintas Solá was received by Algerian Health Minister Abdelhak Saihi, who also co-chairs the Algeria-Cuba Intergovernmental Commission, as reported by the Cuban Foreign Ministry. In talks with Saihi, Quintas Solá aims to sign agreements on gynecology-obstetrics, ophthalmology, radiodiagnosis, and preventive medicine. Currently, more than 700 Cuban doctors are working under exploitative conditions in Algeria.
As anticipated, Quintas Solá expressed gratitude to Saihi for Algeria's opposition to the U.S. embargo and its stance against labeling the Cuban regime as a sponsor of terrorism.
Algeria's Political Climate and Economic Challenges
Algeria is Africa's third-largest oil producer, following Nigeria and Angola. The timing of the Cuban military leader's visit, just after a nationwide blackout in Cuba, signals a plea for help from a nation that itself is struggling. Every day, hundreds of Algerians flee to Spanish shores in rafts, escaping poverty.
Quintas Solá's visit coincides with a turbulent political period in Algeria, which recently held elections marred by allegations of fraud. Votes from the September elections showed participation figures that doubled after counting was completed, leading to the re-election of Abdelmayid Tebboune at 78 years old. "We've studied whole numbers, prime numbers, but mathematicians now need to study Algerian numbers," quipped Algerian opposition leader Atmán Mazouz.
The longstanding rivalry between Algeria and its neighbor Morocco, which supports a Saharan autonomy proposal and recently reconciled with Israel, explains the emphasis on Palestinian and Sahrawi causes in the discussions between the Cuban and Algerian military officials.