A five-member delegation from Saint Lucia on Sunday traveled to the  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to strengthen relations through the exercise of innovative strategies for development, through co-operation.

The delegation will be attending a series of meetings related to the recent education agreement initialed between the two countries resulting in 23 Saint Lucians being granted full scholarships to study Integral Community Medicine at the ‘Salvador Allende’ Latin American School of Medicine.  

The delegation, led by Hon. Robert Lewis, Minister for Education, Human Resource Development and Labor, and Hon. Alvina Reynolds, Minister for Health, Wellness, Human Services and Gender Relations, also comprises Althea Emmanuel, Dr. Alisha Eugene, and the non-resident ambassador to ALBA and Petrocaribe, H.E. Eustace Vitalis.  

During the course of their visit, the delegates will meet and consult with Venezuela’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Delcy Rodriguez; Minister for University Education, Science and Technology, Manuel Fernandez; Minister for Health, Henry Ventura, and Deputy Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Yanez.  

The delegation will also meet with Cesar Trompiz, the President of the ‘Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho’ Foundation, a body with responsibility for the granting of scholarships at the national government level. The Foundation is a subsidiary of the Ministry of Popular Power for University Education, Science and Technology.