A farewell gathering for Venezuelan Ambassador to Australia Nelson Davila was held at the Resistance Centre on June 25. About 40 people attended the event, which was hosted by the Latin America Social Forum (LASF) and the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN).
Chairperson Fred Fuentes explained that Davila is being recalled to Caracas after 11 years as Ambassador to Australia in Canberra. He praised Davila's role as a campaigner for the Bolivarian Revolution in addition to his diplomatic post.
Davila told the audience: "It has been a long journey and Australia represents my second country. Your revolutionary friendship has been shown to Venezuela over more than a decade.
"There has been an endless list of activities, developing our mutual solidarity over 11 years. I hope and expect that this comradeship will continue to exist between Australia and the Bolivarian Revolution into the future.
"The Bolivarian Revolution is the Venezuelan people, not the ambassador. We have an even more complicated period coming up, and with growing political tensions in Venezuela, we need to keep the information flowing.
"But I have great faith that you will continue the strong solidarity work with Venezuela. As my two children are studying here, I will visit Australia again next year and meet you all again."
Other speakers, who recounted the exemplary role of Davila as a militant for the Venezuelan people as well as an ambassador, included long-time AVSN activist Roberto Jorquera, Socialist Alliance representative Susan Price, LASF leader and Guatemalan solidarity activist Victor-Hugo Munoz and three members of the Farabundo Marti Liberation Front (FMLN) committee in Sydney.
At the end of the evening, the audience were treated to a medley of Latin American music by Chilean LASF activist Paula Sanchez and her family.
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