Hugo Chavez’s visit to SVG postponed

After postponing his state visit to St.Vincent and the Grenadines due to medical reasons, Hans King, Press Secretary to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is hopeful that Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez’s will visit this country before year’s end.{{more}}

King, who has held the post of Press Secretary since May 2006, said all was set for the President’s visit, but on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009, Prime Minister Gonsalves was informed by Venezuela’s Ambassador to St.Vincent and the Grenadines Yoel Perez Marcano that President Chavez would not make the trip due to an injury he had sustained earlier on Sunday during a soft ball game.

According to King, President Chavez was expected to make a major statement in relation to the Argyle International Airport Project, as well as make a contribution to the project.

King disclosed that the president was also expected to visit other projects supported by Venezuela before travelling to Jamaica for their Independence Day celebrations on Thursday, August 6, 2009.

On Friday, July 31, 2009, a government team including King, Ministers Rene Baptiste and Julian Francis, as well as Ambassador Ellsworth John had held a meeting with a contingent from Venezuela to work out the logistics for the President Chavez’s visit.

King said on the weekend he had also met with members of the visiting Venezuelan media.

Meanwhile, the Gleaner newspaper noted that while in Jamaica, the Jamaican Government had expected to hold discussions with President Chavez about a proposed new-look PetroCaribe agreement.