Caracas, March 20 (swissinfo.ch) – The Venezuelan government on Monday reaffirmed its “unwavering” support for the Sahrawi people and called for peace in Western Sahara, during a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Caracas, where the leader of the Polisario Front and president of the Sahrawi Republic, Brahim Gali, has been visiting since Sunday.
The Venezuelan deputy minister for Africa, Yuri Pimentel, expressed, on behalf of the government of Nicolás Maduro, the “solidarity and unwavering support for the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination”.
“From the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, we call for peace in Western Sahara and advocate for the early resolution of the conflict, a peace with justice,” the official said.
Gali, for his part, thanked the “firm stance of the Bolivarian revolution of Venezuela (…)”, which has “accompanied (the Sahrawi people) (…) despite the difficulties”.
“This is an added value to the solidarity that we have known in other parts of the world, but here, in delicate and difficult times, you have firmly maintained this position. I thank the people, the Party (United Socialist Party of Venezuela, PSUV), the government, President Nicolás Maduro, for this firmness”, added the secretary general of the Polisario Front.
The event consisted of a meeting of Venezuelan political and social movements with Gali, also president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), recognised by Venezuela since 1982, when they established relations.
The Polisario Front was born on 10 May 1973 in Zuérate (Mauritania), with the aim of achieving independence from Spain and ceasing to be a province of the European country in order to establish itself as an independent territory.
After Spain’s departure, Western Sahara was occupied by Morocco in the north and Mauritania in the south until 1979, when the Mauritanians ceded part of it to the Polisario Front, while the Moroccans continue to occupy it to this day.
Today, the movement’s goal is to end Morocco’s occupation and achieve self-determination for the Sahrawi people.
President Brahim Gali talks with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister.
(SPS) – The President of the Republic, Secretary General of the POLISARIO Front, Brahim Gali held talks with the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yvan Gil.
The two sides discussed cooperation between the two countries and ways to improve the historical relations between the two countries and the two peoples.
The Head of State continues his State Visit to the sister republic of Venezuela for the second consecutive day, at the invitation of his counterpart Nicolas Maduro.
The President of the Republic is accompanied on this visit by a large delegation including members of the national secretariat of the Polisario Front: Mohamed Sidati and Fatima al-Mehdi, respectively Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Cooperation, as well as the adviser to the Presidency of the Republic, Abdati Breirika, the ambassador in charge of Latin America and the Caribbean, Mohamed Zrug and Mohamed Salem Rgueibi, ambassador to Venezuela.
