Venezuelans celebrate their Independence Day

Yassine Majdi ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 07/04/2009 1:05 PM  |  World

Members of the tiny Venezuelan community in Jakarta celebrated their country's 198th Independence Day in a cheery fashion Friday evening at the Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta.

Since the actual Independence Day falls on Sunday, the Venezuelan Embassy decided to celebrate it on Friday.

"It is the most important day of our country. It is on this day 198 years ago that we got our independence. For Venezuelans, it is a moment where we can get together and celebrate our National Day," the embassy's charg* d'affaires, Maria Virginia Mezones L., told The Jakarta Post at the event.

The Dean of Hispano-Latin American and Caribbean diplomats and Panamanian Ambassador Raul Antonio Eskildsen Arias congratulated Maria.

"As the ambassador of Panama, and as the dean of the ambassadors of Hispano-Latin America and Caribbean countries, I am proud to join the celebrations of the 198th anniversary of a brotherly country. I congratulate her on this great occasion. Maria did an excellent job in Indonesia," Ambassador Arias said.

In her speech, Maria mentioned that this year Venezuela and Indonesia were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two.

"We have an outstanding relationship with Venezuela. They donated US$2 million for the building of a polytechnic in Aceh," said Soehardjono Sastromihardjo, the director of information and media at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.

There was also a photo exhibition featuring the works of renowned Venezuelan photographer Rodrigo Benavides.

Guests, mainly consisting of diplomats, Indonesian officials as well as public figures and members of the Venezuelan community, enjoyed Venezuelan dishes that were specially prepared for the occasion.

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