Book review

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/intejcubastud.9.2.0268
• Published date: 01 December 2017
• Date: 01 December 2017
• Pages: 268121-270
• Author: Laurence Goodchild

268 BOOK REVIEWS

InternatIonal Journal of Cuban StudIeS 9.2 WInter 2017

Harry “Pombo” Villegas, Cuba & Angola: The War for Freedom (New York:

Pathfinder Press, 2017), pb. 121pp. ISBN: 97816048809399

Reviewed by Laurence Goodchild

This short volume focuses on what is arguably the most significant of Cuba’s

‘internationalist’ missions; the military intervention in support of Angola’s newly

formed postcolonial government between 1975 and 1991. Formed of seven

chapters forged from a series of interviews with Harry “Pombo” Villegas, a lead-

ing participant in the Cuban mission, the book gives an accessible first-hand

perspective on Cuba’s role in Angola and the broader struggle for liberation in

Southern Africa.

Cuba and Angola opens with a short biographical note outlining Pombo’s

momentous life story. From his teenage years fighting with the Rebel Army in

the Escambray mountains, through participation in guerrilla activity alongside

Che Guevara in the Congo and Bolivia, to his appointment to senior positions

within the Cuban military, it is clear that Villegas has been an important figure

in modern Cuban history. This brief preface is followed by an introduction writ-

ten by Mary-Alice Waters, editor of numerous Pathfinder titles on Cuba, which

reasonably sets the scene for readers who are unfamiliar with the book’s topic.

The format of the following chapters is that of question and answer between

Villegas and a team of interviewers who are all in some capacity affiliated with

Pathfinder, or the newspaper of the US Socialist Workers Party, Militant. Rather

than a comprehensive account of the Cuban mission, these chapters are more or

less a collection of reflections based on Pombo’s personal experiences. The main

topics covered include the rationale behind Cuba’s intervention in Angola, the

remit and objectives of the mission, Villegas’ specific role, and the manner in

which Angola fitted into the larger anti- and post-colonial struggles of Africa.

The overarching narrative of Cuba and Angola is one of a triumphant collabora-

tion between two third-world countries, and although the primary topic at hand

is conflict and war, the content of the book is often directed towards issues of

politics and international relations.

Instead of the geopolitical importance of establishing allied governments

abroad, or potential material returns which might be gained, Villegas contends

that adherence to the principle of internationalist solidarity was the main driving

factor behind the Cuban government’s actions (p.30). Given the competing

claims of several organisations to be Angola’s rightful postcolonial governors,

Villegas explains that the support given to the Popular Movement for the

Liberation of Angola (MPLA) over other Angolan movements was justified

due to the widespread popular support they garnered, and the ‘pro-imperialist’