AFP
President Hugo Chavez on Monday said that Petrocaribe, Venezuela's cut-rate regional energy alliance, will forgive quake-stricken Haiti's debt.
Haiti's debt with Venezuela is US$295 million, about one-third of its global foreign debt of US$1 billion, according to International Monetary Fund figures.
"Haiti has no debt with Venezuela - on the contrary, it is Venezuela that has a historic debt with Haiti," Chavez said as he made the announcement.
Chavez was referring to the support that Haiti - which obtained its independence from France in 1804 - gave Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar in 1815 and 1816 in his quest to free his country from Spanish colonial rule.
Chavez made the announcement at the closing ceremony of a meeting of foreign ministers from leftist countries with the ALBA trade alliance, a Cuba and Venezuela-supported regional common market founded in 2004.
The way you heard the Gerbil talk about Chavez, you would think the man is pure evil.....hmm Chavez selled sulfer.....
ReplyDeleteYep Chavez helped our poor get heat, forgives Haiti debt. Sounds real evil hugh?