Latest update December 13th, 2024 1:00 AM
Venezuelan Embassy hosts reception for 200th Independence anniversary
Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana Dario Morandy and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds toast to Venezuela’s 200th Independence Anniversary
As Venezuela celebrates 200 years of Independence, the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic here in Guyana marked the occasion with a reception last evening.
Government Ministers, members of the diplomatic corps, as well as a number of mainly Venezuelan and Guyanese guests, gathered at Le Meridien as Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Dario Morandy spoke on the relationship shared between the two countries.
As the envoy addressed the gathering, he spoke of the continued fight for the integration of the peoples of Latin America, a “comprehensive independence … freedom” dreamt of by Venezuelan hero Simon Bolivar.
Ambassador Morandy pointed to the impetus that his country has placed on furthering bilateral ties with Guyana and he highlighted a number of the issues of common interest that add to this goal. One of these was the PETROCARIBE agreement which guarantees the supply of fuel, diesel and asphalt to Guyana since 2007.
He noted that the agreement through the ALBA-Caribe Fund has created the resources to finance a number of social and economic programmes. One such programme would be the Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration that is being constructed in Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice, with resources from the ALBA fund.
A new scholarship plan was implemented to allow Guyanese students to begin advanced studies at the Latin American Medical School ‘Salvador Allende’ in Caracas with the first batch of students already selected and set to start.
Morandy also cited the contract with Guyana for the supply of 50,000 tonnes of rice which was signed last October and will see Guyana earning some US$21.7M that will be paid through the ‘Compensation Mechanism’ under the PETROCARIBE Energy Cooperation Agreement.
The Ambassador closed by saying, “Today, we Venezuelans want to ratify that the Declaration of Independence is part of a social and political process that has not ended.
We have the historical responsibility of completing this … and to achieve the integration of our peoples.”
Guyana’s Prime Minister Samuel Hinds took the opportunity to extend congratulations to the people of Venezuela on this happy occasion. He said that Venezuela plays a vanguard role in the cause of furthering deeper and closer relationships between Caribbean and Latin American Countries.
He lauded the Venezuelan Government’s efforts at assisting the poor and disadvantaged in Guyana and he used as an example the centre at Onverwagting.
The Prime Minister also noted that under the landmark PETROCARIBE Agreement, Guyana has seen numerous advances in the energy sector as a result of financing garnered through this project.
He also spoke of an impending visit to Venezuela by President Jagdeo who will be joining with President Hugo Chavez in dialogue on a number of issues, before closing with wishes for the well being of President Chavez, the prosperity of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the strengthening of ties between the two countries.
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