ABSTRACT
Cuba has emerged as a leading spokesman for the Third World and has actively attempted to display its international solidarity with the "progressive" forces of Latin America, Asia and Africa. William Durch maintains that Cuba's "intentions" toward Africa remained constant but that her "capabilities" increased during the seventies. Improved economic conditions at home and greater Soviet military assistance thus led to an upsurge of Cuban military involvement in Africa. Cubans began training Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (MPLA) troops in the Congo in 1965 and Che Guevara met Neto at that time. Cuban United Nations delegate Ricardo Alarcon indicated that troops were sent to Angola partially in response to Zairian military interference and Stockwell makes a similar claim. Cuban became involved in the Angolan war, more deeply than originally anticipated, as it came to the aid of its MPLA ally but other factors are also relevant.
