Venezuela and Palestine Express Solidarity, Sign Mutual Health Agreement

Venezuela and Palestine have signed a new bilateral health agreement as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen solidarity between the two regions.

RELATED: 
Chile's Palestinians Celebrate Heritage with Cultural Festival

The agreement aims to boost cooperation in the medical field. It was signed Wednesday at the Palestinian Embassy in Caracas by Venezuelan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania Felix Plasencia, and the Ambassador of Palestine in Venezuela, Linda Sobeh Ali. 

During the signing, Ambassador Ali thanked the Bolivarian nation for supporting Palestine, especially in the wake of recent acts of Israeli aggression.

"Ambassador of Palestine @LindaSobehAli: We appreciate the support of the Government and People of Venezuela. Palestine and Venezuela are brother countries!"

In 2009, Venezuela suspended all diplomatic relations with Israel because of its ongoing military occupation of Palestinian territories. A year later, the Latin American nation officially recognized the State of Palestine.

The emergence of leftist governments in Latin America in the 2000s - including those of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, and Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva in Brazil - marked a shift in Latin America's relations with Palestine. The change signalled increased solidarity with the region, along with the renewed denouncement of Israeli policies.

By 2010, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname and Uruguay had all officially recognized the State of Palestine.