135th Birthday of President Ho Chi Minh: The torch guiding the international progressive movement

On the occasion of the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2025), VNA correspondents in the Americas had an interview with Mr. Miguel Mejía, General Secretary of the United Left Movement (MIU) of the Dominican Republic, about the everlasting value in the ideology of the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people and lessons for the world's progressive movement.

Mr. Mejía affirmed that Ho Chi Minh 's ideology has become a source of inspiration for movements fighting for national independence and social justice around the world. He analyzed: "What makes Ho Chi Minh's ideology so vibrant is the smooth combination of patriotism and the desire to liberate people from all oppression."

The leftist leader of the Dominican Republic emphasized that the lesson of the power of national unity in Ho Chi Minh's ideology is still valuable for progressive movements in Latin America today. He shared practical experience from the Dominican United Left Movement in applying this ideology to build a broad, diverse and ideological solidarity bloc.

Referring to bilateral relations, Mr. Mejía said that the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2005 and officially opened embassies in 2023. He emotionally recalled: “The raising of the Dominican flag for the first time in Hanoi was a historic moment for us.”

Regarding economic cooperation, the MIU General Secretary highlighted priority areas including agriculture, telecommunications and energy. He particularly appreciated the potential for cooperation with Viettel Group and stressed that Dominican Republic is ready to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in the country's free trade zones.

Mr. Mejía highly appreciated Vietnam’s development model, especially its ability to combine economic growth with the protection of national sovereignty. He said: “Vietnam has demonstrated that a country can deeply integrate into the global economy while still maintaining an independent development orientation.”

The Dominican Republic leader also shared his thoughts on President Ho Chi Minh’s message “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” in the current context. He said that this is not only a call to fight but also a profound philosophy of development, reminding people to always be vigilant against any form of external intervention.

Talking about his visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), Mr. Mejía expressed his admiration for the dynamic development of the S-shaped country. He shared: “What impressed me most was the connection between tradition and modernity, between national identity and integration trends.”

The MIU General Secretary also highly appreciated the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam in inheriting and developing Ho Chi Minh's ideology in accordance with the new context. He especially emphasized the strategic vision in Vietnam's multilateral foreign policies.

At the end of the conversation, Mr. Mejía affirmed that Ho Chi Minh’s ideology will continue to be a spiritual bridge between peoples fighting for independence, freedom and social justice. He expressed: “We believe that the relationship between the progressive forces of the two countries will increasingly develop, contributing to realizing the common aspiration for a world of peace, justice and sustainable development”./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/135-nam-ngay-sinh-chu-cich-ho-chi-minh-ngon-duoc-dan-duong-phong-trao-tien-bo-quoc-te-post1039325.vnp