Montego Bay Hosts Visiting Venezuelan Naval Boat

The City of Montego Bay is hosting members of the Venezuelan naval training boat, Buque Escuela Simón Bolívar (BE-11), who are in the island for a four-day visit.

The vessel with its personnel, comprising 173 students under the command of Captain Gines Enrique Añanguren Santana, docked at the Montego Bay cruise port on Sunday, July 5, commemorated as Venezuela Day.

Their visit forms part of activities marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Jamaica, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The crew was met by a delegation headed by Mayor, Councillor Glendon Harris, and Venezuelan Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Maria Jacqueline Mendoza Ortega.

Other dignitaries and officials accompanying them included: Panamanian Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Alexis Sandoval; Honorary Consul of Ecuador in Jamaica, Cecelia Barreto; representatives of the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan Diplomatic Missions in Jamaica; and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Colonel Adjutant Quartermaster, Captain (Naval) Sidney Innis.

The BE-11’s crew is scheduled to visit the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, and participate in several activities with members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), among other engagements.

Members of public will also get a chance to tour the BE-11, which will be open for visits on Monday, July 6, and Tuesday, July 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. while docked at the Montego Bay cruise port.

The BE-11’s visit also coincides with Venezuela’s 204^th Independence celebrations, and the Bicentennial (200^th) anniversary of the famous ‘Letter of Jamaica’, penned by Venezuelan Liberator, Simón Bolívar, while living in Kingston in 1815, during which he outlined his vision for a Confederation of Latin America and Caribbean nations.

The vessel’s stop in Montego Bay forms part of the first stage of the crew’s 27^th Caribbean training cruise, which commenced in Venezuela, and included visits to Barbados, Belize, and Cuba.

The boat will depart Jamaica on July 8 for Venezuela, where the crew will finalize preparations for the second stage of their training cruise, starting on July 27.

That stage will include visits to Honduras, Bahamas, Cuba, and St. Lucia, before they return home.

Several other notable engagements, marking Jamaica/Venezuela relations, are also slated to be held later this year.

These include: Jamaica’s hosting of the 10^th PetroCaribe Energy Cooperation Agreement Summit; and the official opening of the Simón Bolívar Cultural Centre in downtown Kingston.