The President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, led today the commemoration in Cuba of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and Vietnam’s National Day.

Díaz-Canel headed an event held in the Portocarrero Hall of the Palace of the Revolution, which was attended by representatives of the two nations.

At the ceremony, the Vietnamese ambassador in this capital, Le Quang Long, thanked the affection, solidarity and willingness of the Cuban authorities to organise and participate in such an important celebration.

Furthermore, he assured that the August Revolution and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam had national and international significance.

Its impact, he underlined, promoted the start of national liberation throughout the world, because it drove and created a strong surge of national liberation movements in colonial countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

He also indicated that in the eight decades, Vietnam has always valued the solidarity and support of the international community, of progressive movements and friendly countries, «especially Cuba».

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Antillean nation, Bruno Rodríguez, stated that Cuba feels honoured to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence of Vietnam.

He added that it does so imbued with the «solemnity and patriotism with which that heroic people celebrates this memorable event, seed of the current Socialist Republic of Vietnam, ten times more beautiful, united, prosperous and peaceful, as dreamed by its great founder (Ho Chi Minh)».

He stated that «Vietnam and Cuba were united in combative solidarity» and evoked the «daring and audacity» of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, who, «on hill 241», waved «the flag of the National Liberation Front just hundreds of metres from the enemy lines» of the Vietnamese people.

The Chancellor also recalled that Cuba’s decision to share the same fate as the Asian country was made clear in January 1966, when Fidel Castro himself stated that «for Vietnam we are willing to give even our own blood».

In August 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated in Vietnam, putting an end to the Nguyễn dynasty and thus the August Revolution triumphed.

Later, on 2nd September of that same year, the definitive independence of the country occurred and the Republic was proclaimed, which is why it is the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and a holiday each year.