ON FRIDAY, July 9, 2021 the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) celebrated with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela the occasion of its 210th anniversary of independence.
The celebratory event, held at the Embassy of Venezuela at Ratho Mill, also saw the inaugural display of the photographic exhibition ‘Caribbean, Independence and Emancipation’ in the spaces of the Venezuelan diplomatic headquarters.
SVG’s Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves during his speech, reiterated that he is “an uncompromising defender of the independence and sovereignty of Venezuela as well as Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia, and all the countries of our America”…denouncing once again the sanctions imposed by the US government against the Venezuelan government and people since the signing of the so-called Obama Decree in which Venezuela is declared a threat to the security of the United States.
The head of the Venezuela diplomatic mission in SVG, Francisco Pérez Santana, who led the act of raising the Venezuelan tricolour, made reference to some important aspects of Caribbean history, focusing on Haiti in light of the latest events in that country, and stressing that Haiti is one of the “transcendental and important references for the revolutions that have existed in our America”.
The head of the Venezuela mission gave a historical overview during his address, from 1804 until the Congress of Panama, planned by Bolívar in 1824.
“The independence processes in our America mark the route to achieve the emancipation of historically oppressed peoples. Venezuela, for more than 200 years, has been the protagonist of the most important battles in the history of humanity. Some events in history preceded that important moment that led to the signing of the Act of Independence on July 5, 1811,” the Venezuela diplomat said.
“These events were: the conspiracy of Manuel Gual and José María España in 1797, the liberating expedition of Francisco de Miranda in 1806, and the conspiracy of the Mantuanos in 1808”, Pérez Santana outlined.
He reiterated: “Today, at a time when most of the governments of the peoples of our America are undergoing a social transformation, nobly assuming the banner of the emancipation of the peoples, while the North American empire is experiencing its worst financial crisis, the time has come for our America, for the mistreated and excluded peoples”.
Renwick Rose, president of the Cuban-Vincentian Friendship Association expressed the support of this movement to the Venezuelan people and
government: “It is ironic that after having fought against the yoke of the Spanish empire more than two centuries ago, still today the Venezuelan people have to fight against the designs of a modern empire that is trying to control the resources of our brother country… we reiterate our rejection of the sanctions imposed unilaterally by the United States on the people of Cuba and Venezuela,” Rose said.
As part of this celebration, a photographic exhibition, ‘The Caribbean, Independence and Emancipation’, was officially inaugurated at the headquarters of the Venezuela Embassy.
Its purpose is: “to make visible Afro-Caribbean faces and experiences present in some peoples of the Anglophone Caribbean, as a way to break through the epistemic silences that hide the different voices of the African diaspora”.
On this occasion, the photographs of the Trinidadian artist, Nadia Huggins, with the series “Black and Blue”, and the series “Pulling the net” were exhibited.
During this cultural gala, the talent of the Royal SVG Police Band was on display in the playing of the National Anthem of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as that of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; the Vincentian saxophonist Oswald Williams, who received recognition from the Embassy for his permanent support to culture and the Venezuelan people; and the young persons of the La Gracia Dance Company, who made everyone dance to the recently released Venezuelan song “Llegó el Bicentenario” (The Bicentenary has arrived).
At the end, the guests paid tribute to the Liberator Simón Bolívar by laying a wreath in his honour.
On July 5, 1811, Venezuela became the first nation to gain independence from Spanish rule, when representatives from seven provinces of the country united to end the Spanish monarchy, and subsequently signed the Act of the Declaration of Independence of Venezuela. Through the text of the Act of Independence, Venezuela established the principles of equality of its inhabitants, the abolition of censorship and freedom of expression.
