Leader Fidel Castro in Quang Tri: Cuba's arms amid the smoke of war

52 years ago, in September 1973, when Quang Tri was still raging with the flames of war, Fidel Castro - leader of the Cuban Revolution - became the first foreign head of state to enter the liberated zone of South Vietnam. That visit not only marked solidarity but also became a living symbol of the international spirit between the two nations.

To commemorate this historic event, Granma (Cuba) published an article by author José Llamos Camejo recounting that: Never before had the streets of Hanoi become as narrow as they were at noon on September 12, 1973, when the motorcade entered. For more than two hours, the sidewalks turned into bustling, emotional crowds. Until that day, no foreign leader had ever been welcomed in an open-top car on the streets of Vietnam. This time they did so, because a friend from “the other side of the hemisphere” was visiting. It was an unprecedented event, and also full of risks. In Hanoi, American B-52 bombers regularly dropped bombs. Fidel knew this, but the danger did not stop him. Two days later, he would embark on an even more adventurous journey: to the liberated zone of South Vietnam, in the midst of the ongoing war.

Leader Fidel Castro takes a photo with Prime Minister Pham Van Dong in Vinh Linh in 1973. Photo: VNA

According to the article, the intention to go to the South appeared in 1970, when Fidel told the Cuban Ambassador to South Vietnam Raúl Valdés Vivó that he was ready to go no matter how dangerous it was. On September 14, 1973, Fidel and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong flew from Hanoi to Quang Binh and continued their journey through lands heavily damaged by bombs and bullets - where the war had taken the lives of nearly three million Vietnamese people and about 60,000 American soldiers. In Vinh Linh, leader Fidel emotionally said: "Only when you come here can you fully understand the crimes committed by the imperialists..., and fully see the heroic stature of the Vietnamese people." On Ben Hai bridge, Dong Ha, Cam Lo, and the ruined Carrol base, he expressed his admiration and encouraged the people, cadres, and soldiers.

Granma's article also recounted the moment on September 16, 1973 in Quang Tri, when Fidel held Pham Tung Thien - a child who had lost both arms to American bombs. "(...) With one arm he held me close to his chest, caressing me as if I were his son, or as if I were a child in his country he had not seen for a long time. He whispered gentle words that I did not understand. I burst into tears," Granma quoted Pham Tung Thien as saying.

According to Granma, for Fidel, the trip was not only an expression of affection and admiration but also an international responsibility: where American imperialism was being challenged, where the resilience of the Vietnamese people became a source of inspiration for the national liberation movement around the world. In his farewell speech in Hanoi, he said: The world must be grateful to Vietnam. Through the resistance war, the Vietnamese people have done a great thing for humanity.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro waves the invincible flag sparkling with medals of the Khe Sanh unit, Tri Thien Hue Liberation Army, September 1973. (Photo: VNA)

According to an article by author Indira Ferrer Alonso published on the Cuban State News Agency (ACN) and quoted by VNA, on September 15, 1973, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro crossed the pontoon bridge over the Ben Hai River to demonstrate the solidarity of the children of the Caribbean country with the heroic Vietnamese people.

Together with Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, he waved the victory flag of the Khe Sanh Brigade of the Tri Thien-Hue Liberation Army and walked between the trenches, saluting each soldier.

His words before the crowd of soldiers at Hill 241 echoed an unwavering commitment: "For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to sacrifice its own blood."

That saying, which still resonates more than half a century later, encapsulates the essence of the friendship between two peoples, nurtured by resistance, dignity and international spirit.

The ACN article also mentioned the Cuban Solidarity Committee with South Vietnam, founded by Fidel in 1963, under the leadership of heroine Melba Hernández, as a lasting testament to the commitment to provide political, spiritual and material support to the Vietnamese people.

According to the article, although the visit only lasted 6 hours, it was enough to cement an everlasting friendship. Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro's visit to Quang Tri is a symbol of brotherhood between two countries united by the same ideals of peace, independence and social justice.

Cuba and Vietnam continue to walk together; Leader Fidel lives forever in that eternal embrace, the embrace that defied war and sowed the seeds of eternal solidarity.

And as leader Fidel Castro said that day in Vietnam: "Vietnam will be ten times more beautiful, as President Ho Chi Minh dreamed. In that construction, Cuba will always stand side by side with the Vietnamese people."

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/lanh-tu-fidel-castro-o-quang-tri-vong-tay-cuba-giua-khoi-lua-chien-tranh-216279.html