A bronze bust of Ho Chi Minh has been re-inaugurated in Acapulco, giving travellers strolling the city's famous coastal avenue an unexpected Vietnamese stop on their sightseeing list.
The ceremony took place on October 27, when Vietnam's Ambassador to Mexico, Nguyen Van Hai, joined Acapulco Mayor Abelina Lopez Rodriguez to unveil the restored monument on Costera Miguel Aleman Avenue, the main drag running along the bay. Mexican sculptor Pedro Ramirez Ponzanelli created the bust, which was first unveiled on May 19, 2010, to mark 120 years since Ho Chi Minh's birth. It sits among memorials to heavyweight Latin American figures — Simon Bolivar of Venezuela, Mexico's own Benito Juarez and Cuba's Jose Marti — so the Vietnamese leader is in distinguished company.
Ambassador Hai framed the statue as more than a tribute, calling it a symbol of shared values between the two countries: independence, peace and justice. Mayor Lopez Rodriguez drew her own comparison, linking Ho Chi Minh with Vicente Guerrero, the independence-era hero tied to the surrounding state. She also noted how much Acapulco and Vietnam have in common — both are coastal economies built around tourism and fishing — and called for closer ties in tourism, culture and the marine economy. Both sides agreed the site should work as a small cultural space where visitors and locals can learn about the Vietnamese leader and the bilateral friendship.
Acapulco's bust is not a one-off. Mexico hosts several monuments to Ho Chi Minh: a statue in Mexico City's "Freedom of the Peoples" park from 2009, a bust at the Vietnamese Embassy installed in 2015, and another at the International Friendship Centre in Guadalajara, Jalisco, unveiled in 2018.
Why should a traveller care? If you're heading to Acapulco for its beaches and nightlife, the Costera is where you'll spend much of your time anyway — and this small monument makes a curious detour, a slice of diplomatic history on a promenade better known for cliff divers and sunset views. It's also a reminder that Acapulco has been working to restore and revive its public spaces after recent hard years, including Hurricane Otis in 2023. The city is keen to win visitors back, and a freshly restored landmark on its main avenue fits that story. Add it to a walk that takes in the La Quebrada diver lookout, the old Fort of San Diego and the bay-side markets, and you get a fuller picture of a resort town with more layers than the postcards suggest.
