President Chavez promises to return

Although shy of setting an actual date or time frame, Hugo Chavez Frias, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela promised to return to Dominica for a real visit.

The President made the surprise announcement while delivering remarks at a ceremony to mark the formal commissioning of the Waitukubuli Fuel Storage and Distribution Plant at Jimmit on Saturday June 13th 2009. “You should not count this as a true visit,” he said. “This is not a true visit because I have to come back and spend a whole day and stay overnight in Dominica.” The promise drew a standing ovation and deafening applause from the huge crowd gathered for the ceremony.

As one of the most active members of ALBA, Dominica appears to occupy an esteemed position in Chavez’s new approach to cooperation within Latin America and the Caribbean.

But it’s more than Dominica’s involvement and membership in ALBA and Petro Caribe. Chavez appears to be genuinely fond of Dominica and openly affable with PM Skerritt. They embrace and address each other as friend and comrade and share a mutual friendship in the person of El-commandant Fidel Castro. President Chavez unashamedly lavishes praise on Dominica. “Every time we come here” he said, “we see more and more that Dominica is a paradise. I am not exaggerating, this is truly a paradise.” He recalled the motto of an Iranian city; “those who have not visited East Farhan do not know half of the world.” Then beckoning to President Liverpool and PM Skerrritt he added “I might say today as a Caribbean man…,those who have never visited Dominica do not know the other part of the world.”

Probably however no sign is more telling of Chavez’s fondness of Dominica than the sense of safety and belonging which he feels here. “I do not consider myself as foreigner here,” he chuckled. “This is my own homeland, the Caribbean homeland, this is the Indian homeland, the beautiful homeland this is our own homeland our indigenous homeland.” On arrival at Canefield, Chavez in his inimitable humility and charm embraced and chatted with a number of primary school children. As he motorcaded his way along the West coast to the Waitukubuli Fuel Storage and Distribution Plant, the President smiled and waved at the hundreds of adulating supporters and friends who had lined the streets to welcome him. At one point, the President switched positions with his driver and chauffeured himself through the narrow and meandering village streets. He later joked about the experience. “It’s the first time I drove a car with the wheel on the opposite side in Venezuela and there was no accident.”

At Jimmit the President unveiled a plague formally commissioning the Waitukubuli Fuel Storage & Distribution Plant. “Dominica does not have to concern itself any longer about supply of energy, gasoline or oil. Today you are an independent country from an energy point of view” he said. Chavez then proceeded to announce a series of development initiatives planned for Dominica including a coffee processing plant and a local branch of the ALBA bank.

After about four hours into President Hugo Chavez’s unscheduled stopover, the ceremony at Jimmit had to be abbreviated to facilitate his return to Venezuela. As the President waved his final goodbyes from aboard his military helicopter, the mood was appreciably more somber than his earlier red carpet entrance. But from outside the security fence, a mixed multitude of Dominicans and Hispanics retorted their parting farewell, “viva Chavez! Chavez we love you!”

President Hugo Chavez’ second trip to Dominica may have been brief indeed, but whatever one chooses to make of it, it was memorable enough to prompt the promise of a real visit the next time around.