Bolivia–Cuba relations refers to the

diplomatic relations Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

between

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Both nations are members of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

, but relations of Bolivia with Cuba, like those of most countries in the Western Hemisphere with the notable exceptions of Canada and Mexico, have waxed and waned over the decades depending on geopolitical and regional political circumstances. Relations were good under Evo Morales, who shared the position of his like-minded

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

allies in Nicaragua and Venezuela that

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

was a humanist and beloved icon of resistance to US hegemony in the Americas.

Rapprochement

Relations were established on January 11, 1983 under Bolivian President

Hernán Siles Zuazo Hernán Siles Zuazo (21 March 1914 – 6 August 1996) was a Bolivian politician who served as the 46th president of Bolivia twice nonconsecutively from 1956 to 1960 and from 1982 to 1985. He also briefly served as interim president in April 195 ...

and Cuban President

after twenty years of no relations. In 2013, relations were characterized as "excellent" by Cuban ambassador to Bolivia La Paz Rolando Gomez.

Relations under Evo Morales

Following Evo Morales' rise to power in Bolivia in January 2006, Bolivia and Cuba became staunch allies and Bolivia joined the Cuba- and Venezuela-founded trade bloc

ALBA ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scottish people, Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed i ...

. Bolivia became a long time recipient of aid from Cuba, especially

Cuban medical internationalism After the 1959 Cuban Revolution, Cuba established a program to send its medical personnel overseas, particularly to Latin America, Africa, and Oceania, and to bring medical students and patients to Cuba for training and treatment respectively. In 2 ...

Post-Evo Morales

Following the ouster of

Evo Morales Juan Evo Morales Ayma (; born 26 October 1959) is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to co ...

in November 2019, relations between Bolivia and Cuba deteriorated as Bolivia's new interim president

Jeanine Áñez Jeanine Áñez Chávez (; born 13 June 1967) is a Bolivian lawyer, politician, and television presenter who served as the 66th president of Bolivia from 2019 to 2020. A former member of the Social Democratic Movement, she previously served two ...

sent 725 people (700 of them doctors) back to Cuba, accusing them of protesting against the new government. The government of Jeanine Añez directly accused the Cuban actions to the relationship established by and through former minister and former ambassador

Juan Ramón Quintana ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

and also former minister Hugo Moldiz, who would have been the link for Cuban action on Bolivian soil through the former Bolivian consul in Cuba, Jessica Suarez Mamani and the secretary of Quintana, Natalia Rodriguez Blanco. On 15 November 2019, Foreign Minister

Karen Longaric Karen Longaric Rodríguez (born 1957) is a Bolivian lawyer, professor, columnist and politician who served as the Foreign Minister of Bolivia during the interim administration of Jeanine Áñez. She held positions in the Bolivian Ministry of For ...

expelled 725 Cuban citizens, mostly medical doctors, after she raised concerns about their alleged involvement in protests. In January 2020, the interim government suspended relations with Cuba in response to remarks made by

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla (born 22 January 1958) is a Cuban diplomat and politician. He is a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba, and has served as Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2009. Biography and career ...

, who called Áñez a "liar," "coupist" and "self-proclaimed" in reference to her latest statements about the role of Cuban medical doctors in the country. In October 2020,

Luis Arce Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (; born 28 September 1963), often referred to as Lucho, is a Bolivian banker, economist, and politician serving as the 67th president of Bolivia since 2020. A member of the Movement for Socialism, he previously serve ...

, who was finance minister in Morales's government, was elected President of Bolivia. After his victory, Arce announced the restoration of ties with Cuba.

References

Bilateral relations of Cuba {{Bilateralrelations-stub