By Emma Kakololo WINDHOEK Political and business dignitaries flocked to the gardens of the University of Namibia to commemorate Venezuela’s 196th independence anniversary yesterday. The occasion was marked by a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Simon Bolivar, Venezuelan liberator, patriot and hero of independence in a number of Latin American countries. Paying tribute to his pioneering work in building hemispheric solidarity, Charge d’Affaires Ad Hoc Marco Antonio Guzman, said Bolivar, born in Caracas on July 24, 1783, was a brilliant warrior, soldier, statesman and leader and a source of many of the foremost ideas that guide Venezuela today. It was under the leadership of Bolivar that Venezuela declared its independence from Spain on July 5, 1811. Also speaking at the event, Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Lempy Lucas commended the great achievements made by the Venezuelan government, stating that the country has indeed fulfilled the hopes and dreams of its founding father. “This is all the more remarkable as it continues to take place in the face of tremendous external hostility. The illustrious founder of your nation, and many neighbouring countries in your region, Simon Bolivar would have been very proud of recent accomplishments. Venezuela has indeed done his memory proud.” According to the Deputy Minister, it was also in recognition of Bolivar’s legacy that the Namibian government took a decision in 1993 to honour the liberator by unveiling a statue in his honor. The statue was unveiled by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab who is now the Speaker of the National Assembly. “The bilateral relations between Venezuela and Africa in general, and Namibia in particular, are excellent and continue to grow since the opening of your embassy in December 1990. The foundations for this were laid when Venezuela played an active and vocal role in the United Nations Council for Namibia during the struggle for national independence,” she stated. Lucas urged the two countries to continue with their “active interaction” such as frequent high-level visits and exchanges, to create a conducive environment needed for a wider cooperation, particularly in the areas of energy, trade and commerce, health, agriculture, civic affairs, culture and sports. “In this regard, it is our fervent conviction that our bilateral cooperation in these and other fields will undoubtedly be enhanced during the forthcoming visit of His Excellency President Hugo ChÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚Âvez FrÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚ÂÂÂas to Namibia in September this year,” she said, adding that Namibia is a great fan of ChÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚Âvez, especially for the astute statesmanship he displays in guiding the destiny of Venezuelan people despite the difficult challenges he faces domestically and externally.