Caracas, January 29, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Venezuela announced it will forgive Haiti’s debt of nearly 250 million euros which comprises one third of the country’s total foreign debts of 850 million euros.

 

The revolutionary President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez at a closing ceremony of a meeting of Latin American Foreign Ministers with ALBA trade alliance, told reporters that Haiti has no debt with Venezuela, but it is Venezuela that has a historic debt with Haiti.

 

President Hugo Chavez was actually referring to the time of Venezuela’s independence from the Spanish colonial rule in 1816, by the leadership of its historic leader, Simon Bolivar. During that time Haiti a country that had just gained its own independence from France in 1804, backed Simon Bolivar’s efforts toward an end to the Spanish colonial rule.  

 

Venezuela as one of the world’s largest holders of oil has started a series of economic initiatives that are independent from US sphere of influence  through an alliance with other progressive countries of the region. Venezuela has criticized Washington for sending thousands of fully armed troops instead of humanitarian aid into Haiti immediately after the devastating earthquake hit the poorest nation in the Caribbean on the 12 of January.

 

Venezuela’s latest move to help Haiti is a clear indication of true humanitarian efforts to ease toils of Haitians and perhaps a message to Washington that contrary to US’ claims in the media about democratic/humanitarian values, it has failed to prove it through practical measures in real life.