Buenos Aires (VNA) – Few international friends have earned the affection and respect of the Vietnamese people as deeply as Argentine activist Poldi Sosa Schmidt, whose lifelong commitment to Vietnam made her a lasting symbol of friendship between the two nations.
Poldi passed away on June 11, 2026, at the age of 80, leaving behind a legacy cherished not only by her family, friends and colleagues in Argentina but also by generations of Vietnamese who knew her as an unwavering supporter of Vietnam.
In a message of condolences, former Vice President Truong My Hoa described Poldi as a loyal friend who devoted more than six decades to fostering solidarity and friendship between the people of Argentina and Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang likewise hailed her as "a close friend of the Vietnamese people," recognising her lifelong dedication to strengthening bilateral ties.
Born in Puerto Belgrano in 1945, Poldi joined the international solidarity movement for Vietnam in 1967 while living in the United Kingdom. Moved by the suffering caused by the war, she became active in the anti-war movement before continuing her advocacy in Chile between 1970 and 1973. There, she helped establish the Chile – Vietnam Cultural Institute and worked closely with representatives of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in Chile.
After the 1973 military coup in Chile, Poldi took refuge in Cuba, where she spent nearly a decade on solidarity activities with Vietnam, a period she later described as "an inseparable part" of her life.
Following Argentina's return to democracy, she resumed her work in social organisations, women's movements and initiatives supporting Vietnam. When Vietnam prepared to establish its diplomatic mission in Buenos Aires in the early 1990s, she became one of its most dedicated local supporters.
Deputy FM Giang said generations of Vietnamese diplomats remembered Poldi not only as a great friend but also as someone who consistently welcomed Vietnamese delegations with warmth, generosity and wholehearted support.
Diplomats who served in Argentina recalled that during the early years of the Vietnamese Embassy, when resources and local networks were still limited, Poldi became almost "part of the family" at Vietnam's diplomatic mission in Argentina. She introduced contacts, connected the embassy with local organisations and helped organise numerous events promoting Vietnam.
Her commitment reached a new milestone in 1997 with the establishment of the Argentina – Vietnam Cultural Institute (ICAV), which has since become one of South America's leading organisations promoting Vietnam through exhibitions, seminars, cultural exchanges, film screenings, culinary events, student exchanges and school partnership programmes.
Among its most memorable initiatives was a sister-school partnership between Rosario and Ha Long. In 2001, Poldi led a delegation of Argentine students to Vietnam, personally presenting gifts to Trong Diem Secondary School in Ha Long, Quang Ninh province. For her, people-to-people diplomacy was built through genuine human connections.
Over her lifetime, Poldi visited Vietnam 27 times, travelling from Hanoi and Quang Ninh to Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. Friends and colleagues remember her insatiable curiosity about Vietnam's history, culture and people.
For Vietnam News Agency correspondents based in Argentina, she was a living witness to the history of the international movement of solidarity with Vietnam. Even in her later years, she remained actively involved in cultural exchanges, welcomed Vietnamese delegations and promoted bilateral cooperation. Much of her 350-page memoir documents nearly six decades of dedication to Vietnam and her efforts to deepen Vietnam – Argentina relations.
Vietnam recognised her exceptional contributions with several prestigious honours, including the Medal for the Cause of Women's Emancipation in 1999, the Friendship Medal in 2005 and the Friendship Order - one of the country's highest distinctions for foreign nationals in 2023.
In his condolence message, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son praised both Poldi and ICAV for their enduring role in strengthening friendship between the two countries' people, expressing confidence that the values they had built over nearly six decades would continue to inspire future generations.
More than any official honour, however, Poldi's greatest legacy lies in the affection towards her among the Vietnamese people. More than half a century after a young Argentine woman first marched in solidarity with Vietnam, she was mourned by countless Vietnamese friends over 17,000 kilometres away from her homeland, a lasting testament to the enduring power of friendship between nations./.
