3rd country in Latin America with largest presence in Africa

Botswana and Venezuela commemorate the 14th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between their two countries today – Friday July 9th.

In this wide- ranging interview Botswana Guardian’s reporter Ernest Moloi talks to Ambassador of Venezuela to Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Special Representative to SADC, Omar E. Berroteran, about politics in Latin America and attempts by America’s security intelligence to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

BOTSWANA GUARDIAN: What is Venezuela’s relation with each of the countries to which you have been assigned as an Envoy?

OMAR BERROTERAN: In general terms, we could define as historical the relations between Venezuela and the countries of the African continent due to the mutual support we have received during our independence processes. However, due to the will and interest of former President Hugo Chávez, during the last 20 years our relations have undergone an important boost from a new geopolitical vision, where Africa began to occupy a strategic and priority role in our foreign policy, which has resulted in the increase of Venezuelan Embassies in Africa ( currently we are the 3rd country in Latin America with the largest presence in the region) and with the formalisation of the establishment of diplomatic relations with all the countries that  make up this sister continent, including our representation in SADC and other subregional integration blocs, as well as the signing of more than 400 cooperation agreements.

BG: Please indicate the development projects if any, that underpin the diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Botswana?

OB: On July 9, Venezuela and Botswana commemorate the 14th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and honestly, I think that the current level of bilateral cooperation, circumstantially, does not reflect and does not equate to the excellent relations between our Governments and Peoples.

Of course, we have cooperation plans in the fields of energy, mining and education among others, which I personally had the honour of talking about with the President of the Republic of Botswana H. E. Mokgweetsi Masisi, during my presentation of credentials in December 2019.

The current level of bilateral cooperation does not reflect the excellent relations between our Governments and Peoples.

Likewise, we currently have agreements under negotiation that have had some delays due to the pandemic, however, we are very optimistic and we are convinced of the viability and need for cooperation for the mutual benefit of Botswana and Venezuela and I hope to visit Gaborone soon, to continue promoting the realisation of these plans.

BG: Kindly give us a brief update about Venezuela and Latin America’s struggle for political and economic liberation 

OB: From our region, countries such as Venezuela, Cuba and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, we have been promoting an alternative political and commercial integration project called ALBA- TCP, which has the objective of uniting the capacities and strengths of the member countries and promote policies of economic complementarity for the balanced benefit of all its member states, as well as the articulation of social programs and projects that essentially have the peoples as direct beneficiaries. In this way, we believe that we are taking steps in the right direction to consolidate the political sovereignty of our region.

BG: Venezuela has never had any peaceful coexistence with North America. What is the root cause of the troubles between Venezuela and the USA?

OB: Venezuela has always had and we aspire to maintain good and peaceful relations with the brotherly people of the United States of America in the future. We have a close and historical relationship with different sectors that make up its society and a commercial tradition based on the sale of oil that we would like to continue promoting since our country has the largest proven oil reserves on the planet.

Venezuela has always had and aspire to maintain good and peaceful relations with the brotherly people of the United States of America in the future

We have even developed aid programmes in underprivileged communities in 25 US states, where Venezuela has donated heating oil, to protect millions of Americans from the freezing winter. That is why in recent years, we have received countless expressions of support and solidarity from various social, cultural, academic, and political organisations in the United States, and their rejection of hostile actions against Venezuela. Our foreign policy is based on friendly relations with all the nations of the world, including the United States, as long as the self-determination of our people and noninterference in the internal affairs of Venezuela are respected, principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

Venezuela donated heating oil, to protect millions of Americans from the freezing winter.

BG: Does Venezuela have any good relations with other Latin American countries?

OB: Venezuela has and always will have the best relations with the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. We must remember that the hero of the independence of Venezuela and leader of the emancipatory project of Latin America, Simon Bolívar, dreamed of the unity of the new independent nations of the Spanish imperialism of that time.

That is why Venezuela has the historical duty to honour Bolívar’s legacy and maintain brotherly relations with our neighbours, regardless of the fact that a minority group of governments in the region, which temporarily govern in those countries, unfortunately decide to adhere to hostile policies against Venezuela, a product of great pressures, but that sooner or later its own peoples will be in charge of amending.

BG: How were relations between Venezuela and the USA under Donald Trump?

OB: Unfortunately, President Trump’s policy towards Venezuela was very hostile and erratic, betting on the promotion of conflict and destabilisation of the country, from the attempt to illegally impose self-proclaimed authorities in Venezuela that were not elected by the Venezuelan people through electoral processes, in clear violation and ignorance of the constitution and the country’s institutions, in addition to the increase in unilateral coercive measures that had serious economic consequences that threaten the human rights of our population, as well as constant threats to the use of military force.

President Trump’s policy towards Venezuela was very hostile and erratic, betting on the promotion of conflict and destabilisation of the country,

We understand that President Trump had an ignominious advisory team on Venezuela, made up by outdated people in world geopolitics studies, who tried unsuccessfully to replicate archaic and extremist policies in our country, typical of the Cold War.

Despite all the attacks, Venezuela bet and will continue to bet on diplomacy and dialogue as a way to solve any controversy, as long as the interference policies and disrespect for Venezuelan sovereignty cease.

BG: How are relations between Venezuela and the USA under President Joe Biden?

OB: For the time being, the current United States Government has unfortunately not changed its strategy and its policy towards Venezuela. Our message is that we will always be ready for dialogue and understanding despite differences and betting on finding common ground within the framework of mutual respect. However, regardless of the decisions made by their government, our country will continue to advance in its policy of economic recovery, the protection of our citizens against the pandemic and the consolidation of our democratic system whose central axis of action is the well- being of our people.

BG: We also hear that the CIA is after President Maduro’s head, and that they are planning an attack from Bolivia. Can you confirm or deny this assertion?

OB: President Nicolas Maduro made a complaint about the controversial visit of the Director of the CIA to Colombia and Brazil, countries with which we share a border, as well as the recent meeting of the Commander of the United States Southern Command with representatives of the Colombian government and his visit to the border area with Venezuela.

For now, we must wait for the Venezuelan security forces to continue with the corresponding investigations in order to protect the integrity of our country. However, if we review the history of the interventions of these shadowy actors in Latin America and their proven participation in coups d’état and destabilising processes, we are obliged to be vigilant and be attentive to any threat to the peace and stability of Venezuela and region of Latin America.

BG: How is Venezuela coping under the sanctions imposed by the USA?

OB: Without ignoring mistakes and challenges that we must continue to review and improve in our country, as in any other country in the world, it is an absolute and irrefutable truth, the harmful consequences that it has caused for the Venezuelan economy and the enjoyment of the basic human rights of its population, the unilateral coercive measures illegally applied to Venezuela, which include the arbitrary freezing of billions of dollars in international banks that belong to the Venezuelan state, in addition to the serious restrictions on free trade and the importation of essential products  for our population, such as food, medicines and other raw materials that affect local productivity.

Unilateral coercive measures illegally applied to Venezuela harm the people

The United Nations, through reports from special rapporteurs who have visited our country, has denounced the negative implications of the sanctions and has called for its lifting after verifying the devastating effects on the Venezuelan population.

Fortunately, Venezuela has the solidarity and support of a majority of countries and allies in the world that, despite the obstacles and difficulties that sanctions imply, have worked with our country in a dignified and determined way in cooperation and exchange programs.

BG: What is the Covid- 19 situation in Venezuela? What are the infection rates, death toll and pandemic response in terms of vaccination? Are you able to procure enough supplies under sanctions?

OB: To date, Venezuela has registered more than 278 thousand cases of COVID- 19, with a recovery rate that reaches 93 percent of the cases and with a regrettable total of 3,209 people died.

Of course, we cannot be entirely satisfied due to the health and economic effects caused by the pandemic, however, considering that the Venezuelan population is 30 million inhabitants and that we are under sanctions that weaken the response capacity of the Venezuelan state, and if we also compare Venezuela in the regional context of Latin America, we can say that our country has known how to design effective health policies that have made us one of the countries in the region with the best results in the complex task of controlling the pandemic.

To date, we have vaccinated 11 percent of the population, a figure that is far from our expectations, however, in the midst of economic difficulties, our country has paid the equivalent of 120 million USD for the acquisition of vaccines through the COVAX mechanism coordinated by the WHO, but as a result of the sanctions, the vaccines have not been sent to the country.

BG: In what ways is Venezuela assisting SADC‘ s Integration Agenda especially SADC’s quest to exploit opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area ( AfCFTA)?

OB: Although SADC and all its member states know that they can count on the unconditional support of Venezuela in any area where our country could humbly collaborate, we will always be respectful of the decisions, plans and initiatives carried out by SADC, and we fully trust in the capacity of the Southern African countries to design joint policies that positively impact the productive insertion of the AfCFTA.

From Venezuela, we observe with admiration and respect the steps that the African continent is taking to promote continental trade and thus achieve shared benefits that allow Africa to develop its own value chains and attack with greater force the scourge of poverty.

@Botswana Guardian