Basseterre St. Kitts (April 20, 2010) -- Resident Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Dr Cruz de Jesus Bello, is saying that the Energy Cooperation Agreement with Venezuela (Petrocaribe) and more recently the creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (ALBA) is the realisation of Simon Bolivar’s dream 200 years ago.
Addressing guests on the lawns of the embassy at Greenlands in Basseterre early Monday evening for the celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Venezuela’s independence (April 19, 1810), the ambassador said that the government of President Hugo Chavez Friaz has redefined the foreign and energy policies of his country to bring about integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“This was the big dream of our liberator Simon Bolivar, of Latin America and the Caribbean united as one big nation,” said Ambassador de Jesus. “Simon Bolivar who liberated Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador and created Bolivia, said when we dream alone it is just a dream.
“But when we all dream together, it is the start of a reality and that reality at the present is the big country of Latin America and the Caribbean, the one that Bolivar dreamt and the ideas in the letter that he wrote (La Carta de - Letter from - Jamaica in 1814).”
Based on the Declaration that was signed in Cancun on March 23 this year by heads of state and government of Latin America and the Caribbean nations and whose purpose was to find political, economic and social integration, the ambassador said that this now covers not only Venezuela, but also includes countries like St. Kitts and Nevis, Cuba, Brazil among others.
“The Bolivarian Alliance for the people of our America (ALBA) and the Energy Cooperation Agreement (Petrocaribe) are steps being carried out to allow us to advance towards higher forms of political, economic, cultural and social integration to transform Latin America and the Caribbean in a large block of development in this challenge of building a multi-polar world,” said the Ambassador.
He explained that all this is happening because after 200 years of independence, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has a Constitution, which promotes participatory democracy and the inclusion of the (previously) excluded and gives rights to the minorities, to make Venezuela a territory of peace and social justice, and seeks the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.
At the celebrations, which were coordinated by Wilson Paulius, Kittitian Sonia Rosita Boddie, who is fluent in Spanish, having studied in Mexico, presented the history of Venezuela’s independence. There were presentations by former Spanish students (Kittitians) of the Venezuela Institute in Greenlands, and primary and high school Spanish language students from Cayon.
The celebrations were attended by the Minister of Education and Information Technology Nigel Carty, Cuban resident ambassador Jorge Payret Zubiaur, Chief Secretary Joseph Edmeade, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment Lloyd Lazar, and the leadership of the St. Kitts and Nevis Trades and Labour Union led by President Clifford Thomas.
In another development, Cuba’s Resident Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis, Jorge Payret Zubiaur, delivered to the Venezuelan Ambassador Cruz de Jesus Bello, a two-page letter dated April 18, 2010 signed by retired Cuban President, Fidel Castro Ruz, to Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez.
The letter, headed Reflections by Comrade Fidel and based on the brotherhood between the Bolivarian Republic and Cuba, said in part: “Never, at any time, has any government done so much for its people in such a short time. I am especially delighted to send his people warm congratulations upon the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the struggle for the independence of Venezuela and Latin America.
“As fate would have it, on April 19th we are also celebrating the victory of the Revolution over imperialism at the Bay of Pigs, exactly 48 years ago. We would like to share that victory with the Homeland of Bolivar. I am also pleased to send a greeting to all our brothers and sisters in ALBA.”
