Service held in solidarity of Venezuelans
www.barbadosadvocate.com Web Posted - Mon Feb 24 2003 By Petal Smith
THE Venezuela Community in Barbados held a special Church Service yesterday at the St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church in Christ Church praying for peace and solidarity in their country.
Lifting the congregation in prayer was Father Anton Dick of the Roman Catholic Church. He remarked that the Venezuelan community here had asked to be a part of their service yesterday so that prayers could be offered for the political instability in Venezuela.
Father Dick said, “We were happy to join with those Venezuelans who formed part of our regular Sunday service. We offered prayers for peace and unity in their country.” Father Dick said he hopes that through their prayers, peace and unity will be accomplished in Venezuela.
However, the Venezuelan Ambassador, Corina Russian, said that the Venezuelan community decided to pray for the peace and to seek solutions to the problems in Venezuela. She added that the community locally comprised of over 150 persons.
Their presence here, she said, was established more than 50 years ago, when the first Venezuelans came to study English in Barbados, and, instead of returning, some took up residence locally.
The Ambassador added that they are looking to God for the strength and faith to solve their problems in the best and peaceful way, and in unity.
Further, Joycelyn Hunte, a Venezuelan national living in Barbados for 53 years commended all Venezuelans and friends who have shown their solidarity during the difficult months when the political climate in Venezuela had deteriorated into alarming proportions.
She claimed also that the political crisis in Venezuela is escalating and nothing has been resolved.
Recently, Venezuelans had experienced a turmoil of a six- week opposition strike that has crippled the oil sector in the world’s fifth-largest petroleum exporter.
The strike was launched by opposition leaders on December 2, 2002 to press leftist President Hugo Chavez to resign and hold earlier elections. His current term ends in 2007.