Just months after breaking relations with Israel, Venezuela established formal diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority and opened an Embassy of Palestine in Caracas on Monday.
Relations between the South American country and the PA have flourished as Venezuela’s brash socialist president, Hugo Chavez, has sought to forge closer relations between Latin American countries and the Arab/Muslim world, and in particular with Iran.
Venezuela-Israel ties, on the other hand, have beensevered since the radically leftist Chavez expelled Israeli diplomats in January to protest the IDF’s offensive against Hamas terror in Gaza.
Israel later responded by kicking out Venezuelan envoys. Speaking during Monday’s opening ceremony, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki praised Chavez as “the most popular leader in the Arab world,” in part for his staunch support of Palestinians. “We also hope to open more Palestinian embassies all over the continent because for us it’s a great priority… to focus on this continent due to the political importance it has,” al-Malki went on to say.
Two years ago Venezuela started weekly flights from Caracas to Tehran, to widen the relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Venezuelan state owned air carrier Conviasa lands in Iran after making a stop-over in Syria.
Source: ICEJ.com
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