HE Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Cuba to Việt Nam, wrote to Việt Nam News on Cuba’s National Day, January 1.

The most sustainable results can only be gained the hard way. The most honourable thing in a person’s career is overcoming challenges, which enhances the person’s virtues and brings happiness to revolutionaries. The Vietnamese people, an example for the progressive world, know this too well.

To Cuba, the year 2022 was a harsh year, which followed two previous difficult years.

Why were the three years so harsh for us?

Besides common disasters of the world, terrible things happened to Cuba, among them a severe storm in May and the fire in a fuel storage in Matanzas Province in August. Today, our country has endured the economic suffocating policies by the US with 243 sanctions imposed by the Trump and continued by the Biden government besides their illegal and widely condemned embargo against Cuba, which have hindered Cuba to export goods and services and to receive fuel or strategic materials for our economy.

Cubans demonstrate against the continued US blockade on May Day in La Habana. — Photo courtesy of the embassy

During the past 60 years under the embargo, total losses have reached US$154 billion. You can imagine how Cuba would have been if we have had that sum.

The US’s blockage has prevented the Cuban economy to develop but it cannot threaten or stop us. In 2022, we have implemented the guidance of the 8th National Party Congress and focused on political, ideological and economical solutions to confront the present situation. At the same time, we have asked people’s opinions on the Law of Family. We have organised democratic elections on the district level, adjusted legal frameworks to encourage some 6,000 medium-sized and small-sized enterprises to join the national economy.

For the year 2023, we have defined important aims in the national economy, including training human resources and creating favourable policies to develop the economy more effectively and quickly. We will follow the economic plan approved by the National Congress of People’s authorities, which includes implementing the Large-Scale Economic Stability Programme with smooth co-operation between the State budget and monetary plans.

Cuban men and women have inherited a heroic task, which is on the way to be completed. As the First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez once said: “Revolutions never end, because each purpose is a starting point in an eternal fight to liberate people and society to reach an advancement in later periods.”

As far as bilateral relationships are concerned, the relationship between Việt Nam and Cuba was formed on a historically solid platform built by President Hồ Chí Minh and leader Fidel Castro, which has been enhanced and developed day by day.

Some important milestones in the relationship have been achieved this year. The high-ranking delegation exchanges have been maintained, including the official visit of Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, which was an important moment to review and promote a political, economic and co-operative relationship at the highest level. In 2022, Việt Nam was the second biggest exporter from Asia to Cuba and the biggest Asian investor in Cuba.

Agricultural workers clear weeds from a taro plantation in Batabano, western Cuba. — Photo courtesy of the embassy

Above all, I would like to stress and highlight the love and solidarity between Việt Nam – Cuba friendship associations and the whole societies. They have raised funds for Cuban people after the fire at the Saratoga Hotel in May and the fuel store in Matanzas Province in August as well as the storm in the west of Cuba in September.

I would like to express my deep gratitude for these actions, which have featured the immense love of the Vietnamese people to their Cuban brothers. Anytime, in the most urgent situation, when we are in need, we can rely on the sincere support of the Vietnamese Party, Government and people.

The year 2023 will be a special year, marking the 50th anniversary of leader Fidel Castro’s visit to Việt Nam’s liberated region in 1973 and the 60th anniversary of Cuba’s Solidarity with Việt Nam Committee which was established in 1963.

Cuba and Việt Nam throughout the past six decades have proved what a brotherly relationship can reach by creating a standard model for international relationships. We have proven that brotherhood and agreement is the best solution to solve problems that mankind is confronting in a complicated world with various threats to peace.

As our leader Fidel Castro Ruz said: We are one sharing the same heart. — VNS