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News from the Caribbean as of
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Cuban VP makes surprise visit to Venezuela
Thursday, January 25, 2007
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Cuba's Vice President Carlos Lage made a surprise visit to Caracas Wednesday to bolster his Communist regime's ties with its principal ally, the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Accompanied by several ministers, the deputy leader's trip was announced only moments before his arrival at the president's official residence Palacio de Miraflores in early afternoon, for talks with Chavez.
The duo expects to sign an agreement for closer cooperation within the framework of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, notably in areas of tourism and telecommunications, the Venezuelan president's office said.
The two governments are seeking greater independence in the telecommunications sector by building networks with ultramodern fibre optic technologies.
Chavez proposed the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a political, social and economic cooperation, in 2005 as an alternative to the US-proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas aimed at eliminating or reducing trade barriers among all nations in the region.
Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia and Nicaragua have signed on to the ALBA alliance.
Fifth largest exporter in the world of crude oil, Venezuela helps sustain Havana with 98,000 barrels of oil in exchange for medical help from 20,000 Cuban doctors.
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