After two earthquakes that killed more than 3,500 people, Venezuela marked the 215th anniversary of its Independence on Sunday, July 5.
The occasion was observed in Saint Lucia with a wreath-laying ceremony at Bideau Park in Castries, where statues of Venezuela’s late Simón Bolívar and the Saint Lucian who once saved him from drowning, Jean Baptiste Bideau, stand within feet of each other.
Several diplomats and supporters attended the ceremony, which took place as Venezuela continues to receive international humanitarian assistance following the June 24 disaster.
Karla Ornelas, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Mexico in Saint Lucia, said her country stands with Venezuela and has been sending help since the disaster. “On the side of the government, there have been several ships containing first-need goods that have been sent to Venezuela every other day since the earthquake,” Ornelas said.
She added that about 100 military personnel had also been deployed to assist with rescue operations, including K9 units, Red Cross personnel, and civil society volunteers.
Colbert Pinto, Brazil’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, said his country’s assistance was likewise “a token of solidarity”.
“We have already sent four airplanes full of aid to Venezuela,” Pinto said, adding that Brazil had also deployed firefighters, rescue teams, K9 units and medical equipment.
Venezuela’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Leiff Liubliana Escalona Barrueta, thanked countries that have offered support.
“To the representatives of brotherly nations present today, we express our deepest gratitude for every message of condolence, every extended hand and every gesture of technical and humanitarian cooperation,” the envoy said.
Though not present on Sunday morning, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and External Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste had previously extended condolences to Venezuela in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Peter Lansiquot, Saint Lucia’s Ambassador to Venezuela, said there had been no official word on whether any Saint Lucians were among those affected. “We wouldn’t know yet, but when the statistics are out officially, we will be aware. It is not very likely, though, because there is not a heavy Saint Lucian presence in Venezuela, but you never know.”
Those attending the ceremony also signed a book of condolences.
Speaking on the significance of holding the observance at Bideau Park, Venezuela’s ambassador reflected on the symbolism of Bolívar’s legacy.
She noted that while earthquakes bring chaos and destruction, Bolívar expressed a different ideology: “…When voices of the old order tried to use misfortune to instill fear and submission, claiming that the catastrophe was a divine punishment, the immortal voice of the young Simon Bolivar rose to proclaim words that still resonate powerfully today: ‘if nature opposes us, we shall fight against it and make it obey us.'”
She said this declaration is a symbol of strong will and shows the resilience that many people in Venezuela have today.
