Unite – or continue to be dominated and impoverished. This was the warning given to the Caribbean and Latin America by Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez.

Speaking at the rally to signal the end of his 24-hour working visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines, President Chavez said that the United States desires to keep the Caribbean and Latin America divided and impoverished.{{more}}

“We need to make a huge effort to put back together those pieces so that we become again a powerful Latin America and a powerful Caribbean. As long as we do not do that we will remain under the control, we will continue being dominated and impoverished,” Chavez said.

He said that the region cannot afford to be calm or quiet, stating that now is the time for the region to stand firm and push for our integration.

Meanwhile, Vincentian Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said that the relationship being fostered between St Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica with Venezuela will in no means hinder or undermine what is being pursued in CARICOM or the OECS.

“Nobody can object to fraternity, nobody can object to justice, peace, solidarity, and the coming together to act out principles to the benefit of our citizens,” Dr Gonsalves said.

Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skeritt warned Vincentians about persons who would try to describe Dr Gonsalves and President Chavez as dangerous people.

“Don’t allow the propaganda that is painting President Chavez and Comrade Ralph Gonsalves as dark and dangerous people. Those are men who are committed to the struggle, committed to fighting poverty and oppression,” Skeritt said, as he pledged his unswerving support to the partnership.

For his part, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer considered the deepening relationship between his and other Caribbean countries and Venezuela as a historic moment.

“It is the beginning of the rewriting of the Caribbean and Latin American history,” he said.

Describing the partnership between the three Caribbean states and Venezuela as a “quiet, simple but powerful revolution” Spencer said that the ties being fostered with Venezuela will be an integral part of the OECS’ repositioning of itself for exciting and new alliances.