Barbados and Venezuela Sign Sweeping Cooperation Declaration
GLOBAL AFRICA
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Barbados and Venezuela signed a joint declaration this week deepening cooperation across five sectors, including energy, agriculture, fisheries, education and tourism. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez Gómez signed the agreement in Caracas, building on talks held in Bridgetown earlier this year.
Under the energy chapter, Venezuela will train Barbadian personnel and provide technical assistance in onshore exploration and oilfield recovery, while both governments agreed to explore hydrocarbon trade and renewable energy investment. The education and culture provisions include plans for language training at all academic levels and reciprocal scholarships beginning in the 2027–2028 academic year.
Most elements of the declaration remain statements of intent rather than binding commitments, with tourism arrangements, a proposed shipping route and scholarship pilot programs still pending implementation. The agreement reflects an intensifying pattern of South-South cooperation between small Caribbean states and South American partners amid shifting regional alignments.