PNP saddened by death of Venezuela's Carlos Pérez

JAMAICA PARLIAMENTARY opposition yesterday said it was saddened at the passing of the former president of Venezuela, Carlos Andrés Pérez.

In a media release yesterday, the People's National Party (PNP), a socialist party with close ties to Venezuela, said the former president is being hailed by the Party for the progressive foreign policy stance towards the Caribbean region in general and Jamaica in particular.

Pérez, 88, presided over Venezuela twice, from 1974-79 and from 1989-93. He died on Christmas day.

Strong relations

"The party notes that the periods of his leadership of the South American country marked a strengthening of the bilateral relations between Jamaica and Venezuela," the release issued by Anthony Hylton, its foreign affairs spokesperson said.

"The party recalls that it was under his leadership that the San José Accord, which provided energy security on concessional terms to Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, was forged with Venezuela and Mexico," the PNP said.

"The accord was later to be strengthened with the return to power of Mr Pérez in the late 1980s. The Party also notes his leadership role in the Socialist International Organization, which together with that of former Prime Minister, Michael Manley, helped to build a platform of dialogue between the developed countries of the North and the developing countries of the South, called the North-South Dialogue," the PNP noted.