Cuba was never Franquista, of course. As soon as it was clear that Juan Carlos I was going to back a democratic transition, Cuba was happy to see the Franquista diplomatic corps on its way out.
This was just a bit of realpolitik, the kind all states engage in when it matters
All of this does highlight, however, how Cuba and other socialist countries, along with many far right governments during the Cold War, could have surprisingly collaborative economic relationships in spite of all their political differences (eg. USSR & Brazil, China & Chile)
Thanks for the fascinating thread, Andrés! As far as I’ve been able to tell, the Cuban government began publicly celebrating its anti-franquista volunteers from the 1930s (as examples of “glorious internationalism“) around 1976-77. I don’t think the timing was a coincidence.
