Venezuela to build 50 ‘petrocasas’ in SVG

St Vincent and the Grenadines will soon be on the receiving end of 50 low cost houses or ‘petrocasas’, thanks to the generosity of the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro Moros made the announcement on Monday, November 2, at a press conference held at the Argyle International Airport terminal building, during a short state visit.{{more}}

“We are going to construct 50 petrocasas,” explained Maduro, through an interpreter.

“This will be a pilot project that will be a model for secure investments in St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

He added: “We need to expand the investment of our country in the region. So, I want to insist that PetroCaribe has the order to expand that investment in St Vincent and the Grenadines in order to foster, even further, the development of this island.”

Maduro also disclosed that in doing so much trade and investment in this region, the Venezuelan government requires a “hub” or central point (that is located in the region) from which to operate this petrocasas project.

“Do you think that St Vincent and the Grenadines will be the right place?” he questioned, inferring that SVG is being considered, among other locations, for establishing the hub.

Petrocasas are housing units produced in Venezuela that are made from laminate, concrete and other durable materials that allow them to withstand adverse weather conditions. They were first implemented under the Mission Habitat project by former president Hugo Chavez (now deceased) in 2006.

Since then, the Venezuelan government has provided petrocasas housing to Cuba, Peru, and – most recently – the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Maduro donated 300 petrocasas to Dominica to house families that had been displaced from their homes after the island was ravaged during the passage of Tropical Storm Erika. The first 50 of those petrocasas were delivered in October 2015.

In 2009, the Venezuelan government also helped Bolivia in setting up a factory that produces the low-cost dwellings from recycled material. (JSV)