BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders meeting here for their annual summit have expressed concern over the health of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
Chavez underwent surgery in Cuba last month and his illness has forced the cancellation of the Latin America and Caribbean meeting that was scheduled for Caracas next week.
In a brief statement released here, the leaders of the 15-member regional integration grouping said that “it is with grave concern” that they had learnt of Chavez’s illness.
They described him as “a close friend and committed partner of the Community.
“We are confident that his resilience and strength will be of great assistance to him in this trying time and we look forward to his full and speedy recovery”.
The Caribbean leaders will end their summit on Monday. (CMC)