It was ironic that Francoist Spain enjoyed good relations with Castroist Cuba.
Francisco Franco was more concerned in promoting the concept of Hispanidad -forging close relations with Spanish-speaking and Spanish-descended nations to combat the Anglosphere- than following a strictly anti-communist foreign policy.
So when Castro's left-wing government was ostracized by the
United States through diplomatic isolation and a trade embargo Franco, who
headed a right-wing authoritarian regime since he led the Nationalists to
victory in the Spanish Civil War, refused to join in the U.S.-led sanctions.
A song by Carlos Puebla titled Saludo a España celebrated Cuban gratitude to Spain.
It is worth noting that both Castro and Franco were kinsmen of sorts. Castro's father had migrated to Cuba from Galicia, the north western region of Spain where Franco was born. Castro visited his ancestral home of Galicia in 1992 when he attended the 2nd Ibero-American Summit in Madrid - his only official visit to Spain.
Both men never met.
Franco died in 1975 and Castro in 2016.
© Adeyinka Makinde (2025).
Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.
