Members of the diplomatic missions of Cuba, Nicaragua, Ethiopian graduates from Caracas and the Caribbean island met at the Venezuelan embassy in Addis Ababa.
The objective was to remember Commander Hugo Chavez (1954-2013) and how he fulfilled his words of “promoting the necessary democratic transformations” when he was sworn in as President on February 2, 1999.
The Bolivarian Ambassador, Modesto Ruiz, in summarizing the quarter of a century of the Revolution, recalled the high levels of hunger, poverty, illiteracy and other shortages that afflicted the people of a country rich in oil reserves, but which did not enjoy those profits.
With Chavez’s arrival to power, Ruiz pointed out, the exploitation of those resources and the revenues collected began to support economic, political and social programs which gave back dignity to the humble Venezuelan, besides putting into practice a vision of regional integration.
Regarding the latter, he mentioned the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), created by Chávez and the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States with the objective of achieving the longed for Patria Grande.
He added that Chavez’s ideas are currently continued by President Nicolas Maduro, to whom the enemies predicted a short time at the helm of the country.
However, he has known how to resist and move Venezuela forward in spite of the more than 930 unilateral sanctions imposed by the US government and the theft of 31 tons of gold, equivalent to more than four billion dollars.
On his part, the Cuban Ambassador to Ethiopia, Jorge Lefebre, expressed that when speaking of the Venezuelan revolutionary process, it is inevitable to mention the accompaniment of the Caribbean island, the unique friendship between Chavez and Fidel, the presence of our collaborators in the different social missions carried out in Caracas.
Lefebre highlighted that together with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, three of the ALBA-TCP member countries are present in Ethiopia, with the confidence that in the future other members of the region will join.
The Chargé d’Affaires of the Nicaraguan Embassy, Alí Waters, recalled the high sensitivity of Hugo Chávez and the help of Caracas in 2007 when the Central American nation suffered a hard deficit of energy generation and the unconditional support of the Venezuelan people was there.
Water mentioned the diesel plants provided by the South American country to cover the demand of electricity and to promote the economic sectors and social programs which are currently being maintained.
Chavez fought for that great Homeland where we are all equal, where we respect each other and where there is no intervention in the internal affairs of the countries, he concluded.
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