Cuba - Vietnam: A deep bond of brotherhood and comradeship.

President Fidel Castro's statement, "For Vietnam, Cuba is ready to shed even its own blood," will forever remain a beautiful symbol of the close, loyal, and fraternal solidarity between the two nations and their peoples.

Cuban President Fidel Castro with soldiers of the Khe Sanh Regiment, Tri Thien Hue Liberation Army, during a visit to the liberated zone of Quang Tri, September 15, 1973. (Photo: VNA)

Historic visits

President Fidel Castro became the first and only foreign head of state to visit the liberated areas of South Vietnam. During his historic first visit to Vietnam in September 1973, Fidel delivered five lengthy speeches, directly expressing his affection and his complete, unwavering, and strongest support for the just cause of the Vietnamese people. Standing on Hill 241 in Cam Lo, Quang Tri, Fidel raised the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, declaring: “Comrades, plant this victorious flag in the heart of Saigon!” Less than two years later, this became a reality.

On that occasion, Fidel gifted Vietnam five major projects worth $80 million: the Thang Loi international-standard hotel with 150 rooms in Ho Tay (Hanoi) "to welcome visiting guests"; the modern Dong Hoi General Hospital with 500 beds in Quang Binh "to treat soldiers from the South and people in the most fiercely contested war zones"; the Moncada bull breeding farm in Ba Vi, the Moc Chau dairy farm, and the Tam Dao chicken breeding farm with the best breeds and most modern equipment to develop cattle and chicken farming to serve the people's lives; the Xuan Mai road for transportation, which could be converted into a runway for fighter planes when needed, along with a sum of foreign currency for Vietnam to purchase modern equipment to expand the Ho Chi Minh Trail, in preparation for the Spring Offensive of 1975.

Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and Comrade Fidel Castro, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and Prime Minister of the Revolutionary Government of Cuba, visit the war-ravaged town of Dong Ha (Quang Tri province), which is being restored (September 1973). (Photo: VNA)

Returning to Vietnam on December 10, 1995, Fidel emotionally expressed, “Ho Chi Minh’s dream, when he said, ‘Nothing is more precious than Independence and Freedom,’ and ‘On the day of victory, we will build a country a hundred times bigger and more beautiful,’ has been realized… With all my heart, I want to embrace all the heroes present today, and also those heroes who have been mentioned here.”

During his final visit to Vietnam (February 22, 2003), after recalling his profound impressions from his two previous visits, Fidel expressed: “I truly admire what you have achieved in such a relatively short time, from a country ravaged by war. Perhaps there are still many difficulties, difficulties always exist, but no difficulty can overcome the determination, patience, and selfless work ethic of this wonderful nation…”

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong presents President Raul Castro Ruz with the Gold Star Order. Photo: Reuters.

In July 2012, Raul Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, paid an official friendly visit to Vietnam at the invitation of the leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State. The talks and meetings during the visit took place in a spirit of fraternal trust. The two sides had extensive discussions on all aspects of relations between the two Parties and countries, and concrete measures to further develop and deepen comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba; promoting economic and trade cooperation solutions that are appropriate to the new conditions and interests of each country.

A special affection for Uncle Ho

Fidel's love for Vietnam was not only expressed through nearly 100 speeches, but also through what he shared in his interactions with our leaders and people.

Fidel sent two of his closest comrades-in-arms, among the five top Cuban leaders, to pay their respects to President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi. (Archival photo)

First and foremost, we must mention Fidel's special affection for President Ho Chi Minh. Although the two leaders never had the opportunity to meet, there was a unity of ideals, thinking, character, will, determination, personality, and sentiment between these two great men. Fidel expressed his love, respect, and admiration for President Ho Chi Minh countless times in public. Fidel even sent envoys to Vietnam to present President Ho Chi Minh with special gifts such as giant Cuban frogs, a state-of-the-art ice cream machine, and newly imported Cuban ingredients.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Bin, former Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, once shared that he could never forget the moments of receiving Fidel Castro when he came to pay his respects to President Ho Chi Minh at the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba immediately after hearing the news of President Ho Chi Minh's death. He witnessed Fidel Castro's face filled with sorrow and emotion. Fidel sat for a long time, asking about President Ho Chi Minh and expressing his deep regret at not having met him. Fidel sent two of his close comrades-in-arms, among the five top Cuban leaders, Revolutionary Commanders Juan Almeida and Ramiro Valdes, to pay their respects to President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi.

During his first visit to Vietnam, he once again lavished praise on President Ho Chi Minh's morality, genius, and immense contributions to Vietnam, as well as to the revolutionary cause and national liberation worldwide. Then his voice softened: "Our only regret is that we were unable to visit Vietnam before September 3, 1969, and did not have the great fortune to meet President Ho Chi Minh in person, whom we greatly admired. But we were compensated by the opportunity to meet, interact with, and be close to the Vietnamese people, and to see reflected in them his legacy, his teachings, his education, his contributions and example, his heroism and humility."

It can be said that the fighting solidarity, unwavering support, and wholehearted assistance of Fidel Castro and the Cuban people to Vietnam were unparalleled in history. Photo: VNA

A rare example of solidarity.

Cuba has always been a pioneer and the most prominent country in the global movement supporting Vietnam against foreign aggression. No other nation has demonstrated such fighting solidarity and wholehearted support for Vietnam's just cause through concrete actions, diverse in all aspects, enthusiastic, thorough, practical, continuous, and increasingly strong from the central to the grassroots level throughout the country, as Cuba.

Cuba was the first country in the world to establish a Committee of Solidarity with Vietnam, with an organizational system from the central to the grassroots level. It was also the first country to recognize the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, allowing the Front to establish a representative office in Havana with diplomatic status and providing all necessary resources and funding for its operations. Cuba was also the first country to send an ambassador to present credentials and the first country to send journalists to visit the liberated areas of South Vietnam.

Cuba provided Vietnam with generous and selfless assistance during a time when it was poor, lacking resources, operating under a rationing system, and relying on foreign aid. It's impossible to count the diverse solidarity activities with Vietnam that were organized in Cuba, from the central to local levels. Nor is it possible to count how many streets, schools, factories, parks, etc., in Cuba bear Vietnamese names.

The special relationship between Vietnam and Cuba is becoming increasingly strong. Photo: anninhthudo

It can be said that no other country has demonstrated such fighting solidarity and wholehearted support for Vietnam's just cause as Cuba has, through concrete, diverse, enthusiastic, thorough, practical, strong, and continuous actions throughout the country. This sentiment is unique in history and serves as a noble model that should be emulated in modern international relations.