The special solidarity between Vietnam and Latin American countries has rooted in the similarities of national liberation history, wrote an article on Voces Del Periodista (voice of journalists), a semi-monthly magazine of Mexico.

The article, entitled "Vietnam-Latin America: from traditional friends to integration partners," reviewed glorious milestones in the traditional ties between Vietnam and Latin American countries on the occasion of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue's official visit to Cuba, Argentina and Uruguay.

It highlighted the images of Cuban revolutionist and poet José Martí and Vietnam's President Ho Chi Minh as the ones who laid the first bricks for the Vietnam-Latin America relations.

It affirmed that since the generation of José Martí and Ho Chi Minh, the independence-freedom spirit has been the glue connecting Vietnam and Latin American countries.

Vietnam always remembers and shows gratitude to the people of Latin America for organising movements against the war in Vietnam and supporting the righteous struggle for independence and freedom of Vietnamese people, contributing to the formation of a worldwide people's front in support of Vietnam, it said.

The Mexico City-based magazine noted that despite the fierce war, the visit to Vietnam and meeting with President Ho Chi Minh in 1969 by the President of the Chilean Senate Salvador Allende, and then the visit of Cuban leader Fidel Castro to Quang Tri in 1973 has been and will forever be immortal symbols of solidarity and precious support of the Latin American people for their Vietnamese peers.

According to Voces Del Periodista, during that hard time, Vietnam established diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1960, Chile in 1971 and Argentina in 1973. In the first five years after its reunification (1975-1980), Vietnam set up diplomatic ties with 10 Latin American countries. This was also the time when Vietnam stood side by side with its Latin American brothers in the struggle for independence, democracy and social progress, it said.

During this period, along with strongly supporting Vietnam's accession to the United Nations in 1977, Latin American countries also assisted Vietnam in overcoming the war consequences, expanding foreign relations as well as fighting embargo measures, wrote the article.

Since Vietnam launched the "Doi Moi" (Renewal) process in 1986, relations between Vietnam and Latin American countries have entered a new, stronger and more comprehensive stage of development, it added./.