Speaking with a Vietnam News Agency reporter on the occasion of the VPA's 80th founding anniversary (December 22, 1944 - 2024) and the 35th anniversary of the Whole-People Defense Festive Day (December 22, 1989 - 2024), Rodríguez emphasized that in the 20th century, the world knew about the Vietnamese military for its glorious Dien Bien Phu victory defeating the French colonialists, and later for the success of the General Offensive and Uprising of Spring 1975 which defeated the U.S. imperialists, unified the country, and firmly protected the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of socialist Vietnam.
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A workshop about President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnam - Latin America relations is held in August 2024. |
Rodríguez, who is also Director of the Héctor P. Agosti Marxist Studies and Training Centre (CEFMA) in Argentina, particularly highlighted the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and President Ho Chi Minh in Vietnamese people’s struggle for independence.
He underscored that the decision to establish the Vietnam Dissemination and Liberation Armed Team, the predecessor of the VPA on December 22, 1944 marks a significant historical milestone, embodying the CPV’s ideas on building a revolutionary armed force since its founding on February 3, 1930.
According to Rodríguez, an outstanding characteristic of the VPA is that it is a military force of the people, by the people, and for the people, as reflected right in its name. President Ho Chi Minh's view on the people’s military has been clearly reflected in the military field of the Vietnamese revolution since its inception. This is a distinctive feature of the Vietnamese military, one of the decisive factors contributing to the heroic tradition and courage of the Vietnamese nation to defeat all foreign aggressors.
Under the leadership of the CPV, the VPA has modernized while maintaining the nature of a revolutionary military, focusing on protecting the people and the country, he said, stressing that the Vietnamese people consider the military as an integral and inseparable part of the nation.
Mentioning the contribution of General Vo Nguyen Giap to the building and development of the VPA, the CPA official hailed the General as a master strategist and tactician, and an outstanding military talent. He said General Vo Nguyen Giap made significant contribution to the revolutionary cause of Vietnam, and his strategic genius is admired by friends worldwide.
He went on to say that today, amid ongoing conflicts and wars in many parts of the world, the VPA continues to actively contribute to humanitarian activities and participates in United Nations peacekeeping forces in Abyei, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Rodríguez affirmed that the VPA’s participation in peacekeeping operations, disaster relief, and international cooperation reflects the great aspiration of the Vietnamese people for a world of peace and prosperity.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR) held a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the VPA in Havana on December 11.
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Participants at the ceremony held by the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR) to mark the 80th anniversary of the VPA in Havana |
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Quang Long emphasized that the VPA and the Cuban armed forces have maintained a close friendship for over 60 years, serving as a vital pillar in the traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnam is determined to preserve and nurture this traditional friendship between the two militaries as well as between the two parties, states, and peoples.
The Ambassador reaffirmed that Vietnam will always stand side by side, support, and cooperate closely with Cuban people in their just revolutionary cause.
For his part, Major General Ernest Feijóo Eiró, Commander of the Western Army Group of MINFAR, praised the remarkable growth of the VPA over the past 80 years.
He emphasized that the VPA has proved that the most important factor during the war is not modern weapons or high technology, but brave individuals with a tenacious fighting spirit and faith in victory for the sovereignty of their nation. The Cuban people and the Cuban armed forces highly value their special relationship with Vietnam across economic, political, and military realms.
On this occasion, the Vietnamese Defense Attaché Office in Cuba presented gifts to Cuban veterans who contributed to Vietnam’s national liberation.
Source: VNA