Venezuela and Peru Advance in Recovering Bilateral Relations – Arreaza in Pedro Castillo Inauguration
Caracas, July 31 (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Friday, July 30, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza met his Peruvian counterpart, Héctor Béjar, in Lima, Peru. This marked the beginning of a recovery of comprehensive relations between the two countries in spite of Washington’s attempts to sow division among the South American sister nations.
Arreaza informed of the meeting through a post in his Twitter account, stating that issues related to trade, policies of attention to migrants, and the need to strengthen the mechanisms of integration (regional unity) in “Our America,” were discussed.
Tuve el honor de ser recibido por el Canciller de Perú, Héctor Béjar. Abordamos la recuperación de nuestras relaciones integrales, el comercio, políticas de atención a l@s migrantes y la necesidad de reforzar los mecanismos de unión en Nuestra América. pic.twitter.com/wKT3uPZLH3
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) July 30, 2021
Foreign Affairs Minister Arreaza arrived in Peru last Wednesday, July 28, for his official visit to attend the inauguration of President Pedro Castillo. Former right-wing Peruvian authorities had utilized Venezuelan migrants as scapegoats for the economic crisis affecting the Andean country after more that three decades of neoliberal policies.
Arreaza representing Venezuela at Castillo’s inauguration
Since July 28, the day of Castillo’s inauguration as the new president of Peru, the Venezuelan foreign affairs minister has been in Peru representing the Bolivarian Revolution, after years of right-wing Peruvian governments attacking and promoting the US destabilization campaign against Venezuela. “We greet President Pedro Castillo,” wrote Arreaza in a Twitter post. “We bring him President Maduro’s embrace and congratulations for his inauguration and the bicentennary of Peru’s independence. [Castillo is] A humble man making history together with the humble people of Peru.”
Saludamos al Presidente @PedroCastilloTe. Le transmitimos el abrazo solidario del Presidente @NicolasMaduro y las felicitaciones por su toma de posesión y el Bicentenario de la Independencia del Perú. Un hombre humilde que hace historia de la mano del pueblo humilde peruano. pic.twitter.com/ZH5aNJIunK
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) July 29, 2021
On Thursday, the Venezuelan top diplomat wrote in another post, “Yesterday at President Pedro Castillo’s inauguration, I met and spoke to [Argentinian] President Alberto Fernández and the foreign ministers of Spain, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia and Nicaragua, among others.”
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Ayer en la toma de posesión del Presidente @PedroCastilloTe pude saludar y conversar con el Presidente @alferdez y los cancilleres de España, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, México, Chile, Bolivia y Nicaragua, entre otros. pic.twitter.com/lt6HKwyKc7
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) July 29, 2021
President Castillo followed the tradition initiated by Evo Morales in Bolivia, and held a second inauguration event in the Pampa de Quinua on Thursday, July 29, respecting indigenous traditions and also commemorating the Battle of Ayacucho that sealed Peru’s independence from Spanish colonial rule. The historic battle of 1824 was led by Venezuelan Grand Marshal Antonio José de Sucre under the Liberator Simón Bolívar’s instructions. Minister Arreaza posted images from the symbolic second inauguration ceremony that was attended by Argentinian President Alberto Fernández and former president of Bolivia Evo Morales, among other dignitaries.
#FOTOS | Nuevo Presidente de Perú, Pedro Castillo @PedroCastilloTe realiza una segunda juramentación desde la Pampa de Quinua, en Ayacucho, territorio donde se puso fin al colonialismo español para América del Sur. pic.twitter.com/BbR8D3Lx6m
— Cancillería Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) July 29, 2021
#EnVideo 📹 | Canciller @jaarreaza acompañó al nuevo presidente de la República del Perú 🇵🇪, Pedro Castillo, durante su juramentación simbólica efectuada en la Pampa de Quinua, desde el "Ayacucho que liberó a América" pic.twitter.com/9M9fVw0rbh
— Cancillería Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) July 31, 2021
The victory of Pedro Castillo in Peru has been described by many analysts as a revival of the Latin American Pink Tide and a new realignment of leftist forces in the region. Many expect that the new correlation of forces is going to strengthen regional integration and unity initiatives like UNASUR and CELAC, that would truly represent the interests of the peoples of Latin America and not the interests of the local elites, the United States and the European neo-colonial powers.
Featured image: Peruvian President Pedro Castillo greets Jorge Arreaza, Venezuelan minister for foreign affairs. Photo courtesy of VTV.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza
OT/JRE/SC
Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza
Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza is an expert in international relations, Venezuelan politics and communication. He served for several years as Consul General of Venezuela in Chicago (United States) and prior to that he was part of the foundational editorial team of the website Aporrea.org. He is the founder and editor of the Venezuelan progressive website Orinoco Tribune.
