Press release from the Embassy of Venezuela – ‘Vincentian students attended to by Authorities in Venezuela’

Vincentian students attended to by Authorities in Venezuela

According to information given to us by the Ministry of the People’s Power for University Education, Science and Technology of Venezuela, the young Vincentians who are currently studying tourism at the area of Chichiriviche, Falcon State, of the University Institute of Technology of Puerto Cabello, were immediately attended to by the authorities after having been victims of a burglary at their residence on Friday, May 20th.{{more}}

Once the events, in which laptops, passports, cards, money and personal belongings of the Vincentian students were stolen, the Director of the University Institute of Technology of Puerto Cabello, José Angel Raga, who is responsible for the extension in Chichiriviche, went to the location. The complaint with law enforcement agencies was made and the students were transferred from the residence where the theft was committed to the home of a teacher. Currently, they are visiting different places with the students to move them to a safe place.

The Ministry of Higher Education also indicated that students have at their disposal what they have been guaranteed in the agreement with Fundayacucho, i.e. dining room services, transportation, residence, scholarships, recreation, studies and other activities related to the education system.

It is important to note that currently in Venezuela there are 28 students from St Vincent and the Grenadines, with scholarships from Fundayacucho, studying in various regions of the country in the following careers: Administration in International Trade (6), Maritime Engineering (1) Emergency Management and Action Against Disasters (1), Comprehensive Community Medicine (1), Agri-Food (1) Informatics (6) Tourism (12).

Although it is very unfortunate what happened to these students and the Venezuelan authorities will do everything possible so that these situations are not repeated in the future, the attack by some media and political spokespeople against our country and against this program of solidarity and cooperation in particular is offensive. Many Vincentians students have been in Venezuela for 3 and 4 years and have never had any problems. An isolated incident would not tarnish our cooperation programs in education with our brother peoples around the world.

In Venezuela there are 1,537 students from around the world, especially from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, receiving a completely free and quality education, in addition to the friendship and affection of most of our people and the Government headed by President Nicolas Maduro.

Commander Hugo Chavez always said that solidarity is not to share our surplus, but to share what we have, when we have a lot and also when we have a little. Even with the difficulties we are facing caused by the economic war and the imperialist offensive against our country, we continue practicing solidarity with our brothers, following the biblical precept that humans should love one another and only with justice, peace is achieved.