Ashraf AboArafe
‘AlHewar Center’ (Dialogue Center for Political and Media Studies), in cooperation with the Embassy of Venezuela in Cairo, organized a symposium entitled: “Venezuela… Ten years of the government of Nicolás Maduro: Challenges and Achievements,” on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at the Dialogue Center’s headquarters in Dokki.
A group of ambassadors and diplomats of Latin American countries in Cairo participated in the symposium, led by Ambassador Wilmer Barrientos, Ambassador of Venezuela in Cairo, Ambassador Gonzalo Oreo Lapita, Ambassador of Argentina, Ambassador Victor Hugo Peña, Ambassador of Paraguay in Cairo, Ambassador Jose Jesús Guillermo, Ambassador of Peru in Cairo, and Ambassador Manuel Javier Rubido Diaz, Ambassador of Cuba. in Cairo, Ms. Nancy Quisbert Limache from the Embassy of Bolivia in Cairo, and Mr. Carlos Andrés Hurtado, Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Colombia in Cairo.
A group of researchers and specialists in Latin affairs also participated in the symposium, and it was moderated by Mr. Mohamed Rabie, Editor-in-Chief of the Latin Affairs Journal.
In his opening speech, Major General Staff Hamdi Labib, Vice President of the Dialogue Foundation for Human Studies and Research, expressed his happiness at organizing a joint symposium with the Embassy of Venezuela in Cairo, and referred in his speech to the strong relations between Egypt and Venezuela at the political, economic and cultural levels. He referred to the Dialogue Center’s interest in Latin America and Venezuela in particular, which was summarized by Ms. Nourhan Aboul Fotouh, Assistant Director of the Dialogue Center, in a presentation explaining the Dialogue Center’s work streams in the light of this interest.
Ambassador Wilmer Barrientos spoke at the symposium, where he delivered a speech on the achievements made by President Nicolás Maduro during the ten years of his rule, in light of the multiple challenges that Venezuela went through, as he stressed that Venezuela has achieved many achievements on the economic level, and Venezuela achieved growth in 2022 by more than at 15% of GDP, the highest economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an impact of economic diversification not seen in years. He also indicated that Venezuela continues its policies that depend on the balance of power in a new world and rejects unilateral policies.
Concluding his speech, Ambassador Wilmer Barrientos invited businessmen and all investors to visit Venezuela to learn about all the opportunities that Venezuela offers in various fields. He also thanked the Dialogue Center for its great interest in Latin America and Venezuela in particular, stressing that the Dialogue Center serves as a platform for introducing Latin American countries and their realities internally and externally.
The first working paper of the symposium was titled: “Maduro and Ten Years of Internal Achievements” presented by Mr. Ahmed Mahmoud, writer and researcher at Al-Ahram Foundation, and Dr. Ahmed Abdullah presented a working paper entitled “Maduro and Wise Foreign Policy”. Ms. Nadine Ahmed, a researcher at the Dialogue Center, presented a paper entitled “Venezuela… a pivotal country in its Latin continent.”
For his part, Ambassador Manuel Javier Rubido Diaz, Ambassador of Cuba in Cairo, thanked the Dialogue Center and the Embassy of Venezuela for organizing the symposium, and referred to the strong relations between Venezuela and Cuba as partners in the struggle. Gonzalo Oreo Lapita, the Argentine ambassador, also pointed out the importance of integration between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in light of the common challenges they face. At the end of his speech, he thanked the Dialogue Center and the Embassy of Venezuela for organizing the symposium.
At the end of the symposium, Major General Hamdi Labib presented an honorary shield, presented by the Dialogue Center to President Nicolas Maduro, in appreciation of his tireless efforts in the advancement of Venezuela, and the shield was received by Ambassador Wilmer Barrientos, who confirmed for his part that he would present the shield to President Maduro.
