Just one day after his closest advisors had announced that Venezuelan President-elect Hugo Ch?vez would postpone his Thursday visit to the DR for health reasons, the controversial politician came anyway. He called Dominican President Leonel Fern?ndez from Washington, D.C. to give just five hours warning that he would visit Santo Domingo after all. Ch?vez, accompanied by his advisors and many of his future ministers, arrived at Las Am?ricas International Airport at 3:00 pm, where he was met by Vice President Jaime David Fern?ndez Mirabal and Foreign Minister Eduardo Latorre. He was received by President Fern?ndez and members of his Cabinet at the National Palace at about 4:00 pm. They held an immediate meeting, followed afterward by a late lunch.During the meeting, lunch and in remarks to reporters afterwards, the future Venezuelan head-of-state repeated his past declarations that he envisions a special place for the DR in his Administration’s foreign policy, creating what he called a "Venezuelan-Dominican axis." He promised to expand and energize bilateral relations between the two countries, including improved benefits for the DR under the long-standing San Jos? Agreement, which provides concessionary terms for purchases of Mexican and Venezuelan petroleum by Caribbean and Central American nations. One area Ch?vez singled out for closer Dominican-Venezuelan cooperation is the fight against drug trafficking. He also promised improved trade and commercial ties, and said that his Administration will provide every possible aid it can to the DR social and economic programs. "I want to say to the Dominican Government and to the beautiful and great people of Santo Domingo that over there, across the Caribbean [Sea], they have a brother, a President with his eyes fixed on the Caribbean and his heart beating in the Dominican Republic." Dominican diplomats and Ch?vez advisors have been instructed to hammer out a full, formal work agenda for improving all aspects of bilateral relations.Ch?vez repeatedly praised President Fern?ndez, whom he labeled the region’s "standard-bearer" of democracy and constitutional reform. President Fern?ndez has promised to attend the presidential inauguration of Ch?vez in Caracas next Tuesday, February 2nd.
