No moves yet on students 'love process' trip to Venezuela
Stabroek News
July 28, 2004
Local students who were promised a grand trip to neighbouring Venezuela could be left behind as a result of recent political developments that might derail one of the initiatives of President Hugo Chavez's `love process' with Guyana.
Chavez is facing a recall referendum on August 15 that could see a new president elected in 30 days if he is defeated.
Venezuelan consulate officials up to last month maintained that arrangements for the summer trip were still being sorted out.
But with the referendum looming, there is no official word on plans for the trip that was promised to students who had met the Venezuelan leader in February at a State House reception in his honour.
The consulate had been attempting to collect the names of students who had attended the function to prepare a list for the trip, but all arrangements appeared to have stalled with the announcement of the historic referendum.
During the official visit to Guyana, Chavez had invited the students to visit him in Caracas as a gesture to start what he called a "love process" with Guyana.
He made a commitment to receiving the students on July 25 and had even gone as far as to give a detailed description of what they could expect on their trip to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.