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Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro (second-right), visits the terminal building of Argyle International Airport, accompanied by Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves (right), on Nov. 2, 2015. (Photo: Venezuela's Presidency)
Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro (second-right), visits the terminal building of Argyle International Airport, accompanied by Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves (right), on Nov. 2, 2015. (Photo: Venezuela’s Presidency)
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President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro is among the foreign dignitaries down to speak at the official opening of the Argyle International Airport on Tuesday.

A draft programme of Tuesday’s programme, circulated to the media by the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday, also said the event will hear an address from Salvador Valdes Mesa, vice-president of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.

Venezuela and Cuba have made significant contributions to the construction of the EC$700 million airport, which is opening six years behind schedule.

Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves will deliver the feature address at the event.

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Rudy Matthias, chairman of International Airport Development Company, the state-owned firm that oversaw the construction of the airport, will give and overview of the project. Remarks will also come from Garth Saunders, chairman of Argyle International Airport, the state-owned company that will manage the airport.

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Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation, Saboto Caesar as well as Minister of Economic Planning, Sustainable Development, Industry, Information and Labour, Camillo Gonsalves, will also deliver addresses.

Julie Reifer-Jones, chief executive officer of regional carrier, LIAT, the main airline expected to service the airport in its initial stages, will also address the event, as well as Rohan Sinanan, Minister of Transport, Trinidad and Tobago.

Greetings will come from Hazel Manning, widow of Patrick Manning, former prime minister of the twin-island nation.

David Granger, president of the Republic of Guyana and chairman of the Caribbean Community, will bring solidary greetings.

Lady Lynda Straker, wife of deputy prime minister of SVG, Sir Louis Strake will do a special item and her husband will introduce Gonsalves.

Hans King, Gonsalves’ press secretary, will be the Master of Ceremonies.

‘A couple of presidents’ coming for Argyle Airport opening

3 replies on “Venezuela’s President Maduro to attend Argyle opening”

  1. Will free transportation to and from AIA be provided, as well, for “average Vincys,” so many of whom have been so patient, and have contributed so much to this monumental project, for more than eight years? It is always nice, and somewhat “decorative,” to have dignitaries and many speeches at such occasions, and I understand that the landowners whose homes were taken will be officially “thanked,” but the many citizens of SVG whose hopes and dreams have been so encouraged, should also be recognized. I hope this will be the case.

    1. Why do our people always want “freeness.” The airport has a $EC400 million debt and you want even more piled on? Why not beg for free flights as well.

  2. Maduro has presided over the failure of the most resource-rich nation in all the Americas, if not the world, and has made it about the poorest nation on earth. He is coming to what will possibly be the most failed state in the Caribbean. I have heard predictions that St Vincent will be at the level of Haiti by the year 2025. Ralph believes he can liquidate his frivolous borrowing debts (including an airport we cannot afford) by taxing the people to death; but he/we will soon learn that does not work. You cannot tax a country out of debt. Sadly, we and Venezuela deserve our increasing poverty based on our voting records. We in SVG can pick bananas but we can’t pick leaders. At least some of the failure of Venezuela is caused by the USA, but we have no excuse but ourselves.

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