Venezuelan Ambassador to Barbados, Jose Gomez Febres, left Barbados on Wednesday after a five-year tour of duty.
During a farewell call on Prime Minister Freundel Stuart last Monday, he said he would never forget the island or its people.
Noting that Barbados was both his first and last diplomatic posting, he quipped that he had learned diplomacy here.
He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Stuart and his Government and told the Prime Minister that he respected him and valued his leadership over the five years.
He presented Mr. Stuart with a CD and photographs of plaques installed in classrooms at the Venezuelan Embassy in Barbados earlier this year to commemorate the bicentenary of the 1816 Rebellion. The classrooms were dedicated to the Right Excellent Bussa, National Hero of Barbados, and Nanny Grigg, both leaders of the rebellion.
Prime Minister Stuart thanked the Ambassador for his kind sentiments and told him that he had enjoyed their interaction during his tour of duty.
He noted that during that time, both Barbados and Venezuela had experienced challenges and what was clear, was that the people of both countries were ???resourceful and of very strong character???. He was confident, he said, that both countries would get through the difficult times.
Mr. Stuart noted that Barbados had enjoyed diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 1969 and over the years, all the Venezuelan leaders had in their own way, contributed to the deepening of the relationship between the two countries.
He also thanked the Ambassador for paying tribute to the two Barbadian historic figures whose images adorn the Embassy???s walls.
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