The event took place at the Venezuelan embassy in Beijing and was a propitious occasion to emphasize the importance of preserving the sovereignty and identity of Venezuela and of all of Latin America.

The Venezuelan ambassador, Giuseppe Yoffreda, recalled that Venezuela became the first country in Spanish-speaking America, and the third country in the continent, after the United States and Haiti, to declare itself free of the yoke of Spain with the signing of the independence act on in 1811.

In his speech, the diplomat reviewed the events that led to that event and highlighted the full validity of the foundations of freedom and justice defended by those who made its consummation possible.

“Now more than ever, the legacy of our heroes (…) of breaking the chains of domination and intervention, is valid and calls us to continue fighting to achieve true independence and Latin American union,” the diplomat stressed.

Yoffreda highlighted the efforts of the late President Hugo Chavez to give life to the libertarian and integrationist thinking of Simón Bolívar and the efforts of the current ruler, Nicolas Maduro, to overcome foreign attacks on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela.

The ambassador also thanked China for the support provided in times of difficulty, welcomed the evolution of bilateral relations during their 48 years of establishment and reiterated President Maduro’s willingness to work with his counterpart Xi Jinping to strengthen them and raise them to a higher level.

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