Since 2005, when the African Office of Foreign Relations was created, the Bolivarian government of Venezuela has increased the number of embassies in that continent by 130%. These new embassies have allowed Venezuela to pay attention, form policies and project itself to the region.
The head of this office, Reinaldo Bolívar, emphasized that before 2005, Venezuela only had eight embassies in Africa: in Egypt, Algeria, Libya and Morocco in northern Africa; and in Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa and Kenya in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Each one of these offices was poorly attended to; they were in unstable conditions and had labor shortages. Today our multipolar vision allows us to count on 18 embassies, fully equipped, strengthening our relationships with 54 African countries,” stressed Bolívar.
There are new diplomatic offices a in Ethiopia, headquarters of the African Union, as well as in Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Mozambique, Congo and Sudan.
Regarding the 36 African countries which do not have embassies, Bolívar explained that relations with them are carried out through what are called “diplomatic audiences.”
“We have direct representation, which are embassies, as well as indirect, called audiences or non-present embassies. This means that when we cannot establish a fixed office in a country, we appeal to delegations in nearby countries to have them promote relations with more than one country,” Bolívar explained.
He also noted that some African countries do the same in their relations with Venezuela, since those that do not have embassies in the Bolivarian Republic or in other Latin American countries, they make up for this through their embassies in New York, Washington, Havana or Brasilia.
“We encourage this practice, given that there are only seven African embassies in Venezuela. This is why there are 10 embassies which see to Venezuela in Cuba; the same thing happens in the United States,” he indicated.
On a related topic, in referring to the African Agenda, which sets policy for that continent, Bolívar defined it as “the most complete action program for a continent since 2005; a coherent program, which serves as a guideline, with good leadership, based on national interests and the national plan of action of Simón Bolívar.”
Recently, President Hugo Chávez received the credentials of four African Ambassadors: Emboirik Roberto Molina of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; Félix Obor of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Bala Garba Jahumpa of the Republic of Gambia; and Rachid Bladehane of the People\\
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