BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MARCH 7TH 2013 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas is to lead the Federation’s delegation to Friday’s State Funeral for the late Venezuelan President, His Excellency Hugo Chavez.
Cabinet today approved that myself as the Prime Minister, accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister (Hon. Dr. Earl Asim Martin), who is our Minister of Energy and who has led on the Petro-Caribe Agreements and Initiatives with Venezuela in the past, together with the Foreign Minister, Hon. Patrice Nisbett, would travel there to be part of the mourning parties that will pay our respects to our fallen comrade and hero,” Prime Minister Douglas told reporters at his monthly press conference on Wednesday.
Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Elvis Newton, is also expected to travel with the delegation.
The President (Chavez) has been an exceptional leader in the (Western) Hemisphere and within the World. His agenda was not only an agenda for Venezuela or the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The agenda was an agenda that encapsulated the socio, economic and political challenges that the people of the Hemisphere and also of the World are facing,” he said.
Prime Minister Douglas pointed to the close relationship between the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Republic of Venezuela.
We have been to a large extent, very much blessed by his generosity and by the very progressive policies that President Chavez has pursued over the years. The Petro-Caribe Agreement for example, of which we became a signatory, has brought tremendous support at a time when we needed it for the financial and economic stability of our country,” said Dr. Douglas, adding:
Because how would we know, what if we didn’t have the Petro-Caribe Agreement? When at times we may not have had the financing up front for fuel. How would we have known that we would not have had to shut down our country and go into total darkness, if it were not for the specific arrangements of the Petro-Caribe?” asked Prime Minister Douglas.
The Government and the People of St. Kitts and Nevis today are very sad and we will continue to mourn his loss and we shall remember him,” said Prime Minister Douglas.