Hundreds greet President Chavez on his second official visit to Dominica

Hundreds of Dominicans, many dressed in red, lined the two mile-stretch from the Canefield airport to the community of Jimmit to greet Venezuela’s President, His Excellency, Hugo Chavez Frias for his much anticipated visit to Dominica on Saturday, June 13th 2009.

The Venezuelan President along with Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit arrived at the Canefield Airport via helicopter at 3.40 pm on Saturday less than an hour after they had arrived in Dominica at the country’s main airport Melville Hall.

Ministers of Government, officials from the Venezuelan Government, officers from the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force, members of the Dominica Government Band as well as the media were present at the Canefield Airport to witness the second official visit by President Chavez to Dominica.

The convoy of President Chavez stopped briefly in the village of Mahaut as hundreds of villagers danced excitedly and animatedly in the streets to the sound of lapeau kabwit in a tangible demonstration of their unrestrained joy at seeing the Venezuelan President in person.

The highlight of the Venezuelan leader’s visit was the formal commissioning of the Waitukubuli Fuel Storage and Distribution Plant at Jimmit, financed jointly by the Government of Venezuela and the Government of Dominica at a cost of US$35 million.

Addresses at the ceremony following the commissioning of the plant came from Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit and Venezuela’s President, H.E. Hugo Chavez Frias.

Also present at the ceremony were President of Dominica, His Excellency, Dr. Nicholas Liverpool and Mrs. Liverpool, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Alix Boyd-Knights, Ministers of Government, Venezuela’s Ambassador to Dominica, Her Excellency Carmen Martinez de Grijalva and senior officials from the Venezuelan Government, Cuba’s Ambassador to Dominica, His Excellency, Osvaldo Cobacho Martinez, Chinese Government officials, ALBA Coordinator, Dr. Philbert Aaron, Permanent Secretaries and scores of invited guests.