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

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe departed Haiti Tuesday for a 24-hour visit to Venezuela, his office announced.

Lamothe was set to meet with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, Vice President Jorge Arreaza and Foreign Minister Elias Jaua.

In a statement, Lamothe’s office said the purpose of the trip was one of “strengthening relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the two countries.”

Lamothe last visited Venezuela on March 9 for a similar 24-hour trip focusing on the PetroCaribe Agreement and social projects the Venezuelan government is currently undertaking in Haiti.

The two countries have steadily deepened ties in recent years, and that seems to have remained the case under first year or so of the Maduro regime.