President Chavez arrives to red carpet welcome
By Shirley Thomas
Guyana Chronicle
February 20, 2004
RALLYING AROUND THEIR LEADERS --- Venezuelans working and residing in Guyana came out in large numbers to welcome President Chavez and to express solidarity with attempts by President Chavez and President Bharrat Jagdeo to forge closer ties between Guyana and Venezuela. These Venezuelan nationals are seen in this Mike Norville photo, one of them lofting a Venezuelan flag, at the civic reception at Promenade Gardens yesterday.
Frias was yesterday accorded a red-carpet welcome to Guyana, at a Civic Reception held in his honour at the Promenade Gardens, Georgetown, during which he was presented with the symbolic key to the capital city.
The reception, hosted by His Worship the Mayor of Georgetown, Mr.Hamilton Green, was conducted under the band stand constructed in 1883, and bearing a rich cultural history.
The venue was attractively and appropriately adorned with the colours of the flags of the two countries: red, white, green, gold, black and blue, with the symbolic red carpet rolled out on the floor and down the stairs.
Outside the bandstand, majestically overlooking the proceedings, the Golden Arrow Head and the Bolivian Flags fluttered in the gentle morning breeze. And peeking through the lush green vegetation with a proliferation of colourful and sweet scented flowers, the sun shone through in all its glory.
Among the hundreds assembled to greet the Venezuelan Head of State were the Mayor of Georgetown, Ministers within the Ministry of Local Government - Mr.Harripersaud Nokta and Mr. Clinton Collymore, Councillors and staff of the Georgetown and other Municipalities, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, leading political functionaries, church leaders, school children, businessmen and Venezuelan nationals residing in Guyana.
There were appropriate musical renditions by City Hall's "City Jammers Steel Orchestra" which soon gave way to the sound of sirens filling the air, and at exactly 11:00 hours, the Presidential entourage made a ceremonial arrival at the Promenade Gardens under heavy security escort.
President Chavez Frias, smartly clad in a black suit, a white shirt and red tie, disembarked from a shiny black automobile under heavy police escort, and surrounded by a large contingent of private body guards. Earlier, the venue was meticulously scanned by a sniffer dog
Among the Presidential entourage were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr.Samuel Rudy Insanally and others. The President, Hugo Chavez was enthusiastically greeted by scores of well intentioned Guyanese who lined the route to the Band Stand - some cheering and others waving tiny flags as a symbol of welcome.
President Chavez, evidently has a close affinity for children. He showed his appreciation for the hundreds of school children who had long been waiting under brilliant sunshine to get a glimpse of him, by stopping along the route to hug, kiss and say a few words to them.
After being introduced to the Mayor and City Councillors of Georgetown, President Chavez was escorted on stage where the formal ceremony began. He was introduced by Town Clerk, Ms Beulah Williams. The welcome address was given by Mayor Hamilton Green, after the Town Clerk Ms. Williams presented him with a golden key to the city, made, according to Mayor Green, from "pure rich gold, taken from the bowels of the hinterland."
Mayor Green in welcoming President Chavez to the city of Georgetown, Mayor Green hailed the Venezuelan Head of State as an "authentic people's President" - one who made time to hug, kiss and talk to the children who had assembled to greet him.
Mayor Green said he hoped that, as President Chavez moved around Georgetown, he would find ways for the two countries to work together, to improve relations and the welfare of Guyanese and Venezuelans living in Guyana.