In a moving ceremony held at the Embassy of Cuba in Hanoi, tribute was paid to the Heroine of the Cuban Revolution, Melba Hernández Rodríguez del Rey, on the 105th anniversary of her birth and on the eve of the 73rd anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks.
The commemoration opened with a walkthrough of a photo exhibition at the diplomatic headquarters, where the Cuban delegation welcomed distinguished guests, including representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), the Women's Union, the Women's Museum, and the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, along with former diplomats and members of the Club of Vietnamese Alumni Graduated in Cuba.
The ceremony continued in the Cohiba Hall with opening remarks by Phan Anh Son, President of VUFO, who symbolically presented a donation in support of the Cuban people. During his address, the Ambassador of Cuba to Vietnam, Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, expressed deep gratitude for the unwavering solidarity of the Party, State, and people of Vietnam amidst the complex economic and energy situation currently affecting the island, highlighting VUFO's contribution as a meaningful source of moral and material support.
Polanco Fuentes praised Melba Hernández's extraordinary revolutionary trajectory, honoring her not only as one of the only two women to participate in the Moncada assault alongside Haydée Santamaría, but also for her steadfast loyalty to Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and her lasting influence on bilateral relations.
As the highlight of the tribute, the diplomatic mission presented the bilingual (Spanish and Vietnamese) booklet "Symbol of Solidarity", an excerpt from the book Melba, Woman of All Times, authored by Margarita Ilisástigui Avilés and Gladys Rosa Álvarez Porro (Verde Olivo Publishing House). Featuring a foreword by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, the publication highlights Melba's role as the founding President of the Cuban Committee of Solidarity with South Vietnam and Ambassador to the Asian nation (1977–1980), echoing her famous words: "Perhaps I was a Vietnamese born in Cuba."
The event concluded with a session dedicated to remembrances and testimonies by prominent figures who knew the Cuban heroine personally, including former ambassadors Vu Chi Cong and Nguyen Xuan Phong, Professor Nguyen Viet Thao (Vice President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association), alongside former diplomats and relatives of historic friends of the island. Their reflections reaffirmed Melba Hernández's legacy as an enduring pillar and eternal symbol of the unwavering brotherhood between Cuba and Vietnam.