PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Interim President of Venezuela Nicholas Maduro may likely win the upcoming election following the death of Hugo Chavez and his approach may be the same as Chavez’s, says Dr Mark Kirton of UWI’s Institute of International Relations. He spoke yesterday ahead of today’s panel discussion on Chavez by the institute.
The midday discussion also features Prof Norman Girvan and Dr Aleeha Ranjitsingh. Also invited are the ambassadors of Venezuela and Cuba. Kirton said Chavez had moved the integration process forward and had been in the forefront of cementing Latin American and Caribbean relations. He said that was evidenced by the 2008 Celac Brazilian Summit.
“We also saw him further relations, via certain social programmes which impacted the region, such as eye operations in Cuba, in which Venezuela provided logistical support, and we also have the PetroCaribe project,” Kirton added.