The AB Simón Bolívar School Vessel (BE-11) sailed this Wednesday, August 21st, from the Port of Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to finish its XXXI Caribbean Foreign Instruction Cruise 2019 which lasted approximately 3 months, sailing more than 6,000 nautical miles through the main ports of four Caribbean countries.
Strengthening ties of friendship and solidarity, the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines made a great show of their culture to send off the 190 crew members of the Ambassador Without Borders, violinist Darron Andrews made an impeccable presentation of three songs that thrilled those present; the Avenue Dancers directed by Ms Bridgette John put off a spectacular show of Caribbean dance, in addition to the presentation of the cultural group “Resistant Heartbeat Drummers” who at the rhythm of the drum took the opportunity to publicly express their unrestricted support to the people and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela led by President Nicolás Maduro Moros.
During the visit to St. Vincent and based on the respect and recognition of the peoples, the officers of the Simón Bolívar School Vessel paid tribute to the Vincentian hero, Joseph Chatoyer, with the laying of a wreath at the Monument to the Indigenous Leader. The Commander of the School Vessel, Admiral Alexander Rivero Sojo spoke about the ancestral culture of both peoples and made a historical parallel between Joseph Chatoyer who sacrificed his life to “defend the sovereignty of his country” and the Venezuelan Carib Chief Guaicaipuro who fought all his life ” against the Spanish empire”he stated“Our commitment is the struggle for the independence of our peoples against all the imperialist forms that have always tried to dominate us”.
Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture of SVG, Hon Cecil Mckie said “Venezuela has always been a reliable friend of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, our struggles bring us closer to each other and your visit to SVG is the foundation to expand the bonds of friendship for many more years ».
Francisco Perez, Head of the Venezuelan diplomatic mission, Commander Rivero Sojo and part of the High Command of the Vessel met with the Governor General of SVG, H.E Susan Dougan with the aim of carrying the message of peace, union and integration. During the official visit, the Governor General expressed her support and solidarity with the Venezuelan people in the face of the imperial onslaught and reaffirmed that Venezuela and SVG are friendly peoples.
The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines held a farewell reception in honor of the crew, the Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Hon Luke Browne on behalf of the Cabinet said “this ship is named after Simon Bolivar and I know the Bolivarian principles very well … you, all the people of Venezuela can always count on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ».
Alexander Rivero Sojo, Commander of the Ambassador without Borders said “our crew created ties of friendship in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, language has not been a barrier for us to be recognized as brothers and I can assure you that the school Vessel will return to this country. With this port we finalize our XXXI Foreign Cruise 2019; we take a wealth of experiences from all the countries we have visited to carry our message of peace and solidarity ».
The Head of the Venezuelan Mission in St. Vincent, Francisco Pérez Santana said we consider you officers, cadets, crew of the Ambassador without Borders; heroes and heroines and I am sure today more than ever, we are prepared to resist and defend our homeland against any imperial threat that tries to take away our independence and sovereignty
As part of the cultural exchange, the crew of the School Vessel played two matches against the football and basketball team of the RSVGPF. They also visited the “Owia Salt Pond”, the “Dark View Falls” waterfalls, the famous Wallilabou beach and climbed the second highest peak of SVG, the “La Soufriere” Volcano “we are happy to have conquered the La Soufriere volcano, it was a wonderful walk,”said Rivera Sojo.
For four days the Ambassador Without Borders was visited by hundreds of people, Vincentians and tourists alike who toured the Ship to learn about Venezuelan history, traditions and culture; It is worth noting that, the Vice Minister for Africa, Yuri Pimentel accompanied by a Venezuelan delegation that was in SVG on to attend the State Funeral of Sir Vincent Beache; took the opportunity to attend one of the tours and greet the crew of the Ambassador Without Borders on behalf of the Bolivarian Government.
