Above: Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe (Photo: OPM Haiti)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

While Venezuela President Hugo Chavez remains in Cuba with decliing health, Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe jetted to Caracas Wednesday for talks with Venezuela’s Vice President, Nicolas Maduro, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The talks focused on the PetroCaribe Agreement, a significant source of funding for Haiti and much of the Caribbean, whose future could be cloudy if Chavez were not able to continue serving as President.

Lamothe’s 24-hour visit included discussions on increasing rice production in Haiti’s Artibonite Valley’ strengthening Radiotelevision Nationale de Haiti, social programmes to fight extreme poverty and the construction of recreation centres in municipalities including Cite Soleil.

The Prime Minister was joined on the trip by Foreign Minister Pierre Richard Casimir, the Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister for Human Rights, Rose-Anne Auguste, and several other officials.

The trip included a series of solidarity events to show support for Chavez,

Haiti is currently an observer state in Chavez’s ALBA Alliance.