Mérida, 7th December 2012 (Venezuelanalysis.com) - Venezuela has abolished entrance visas for Palestinian visitors among a set of new agreements with the Middle Eastern country. Meanwhile, Venezuela president Hugo Chavez returned from Cuba this morning after receiving complimentary medical treatment.

Venezuela became the first country to abolish visas for Palestinians carrying civil or diplomatic passports as part of talks this week in Caracas between representatives of the two countries. Venezuela also committed itself to build a new hospital in Palestinian territory and made new agreements in the areas of health, education and tourism.

“We’re sending the world a very important message, because from Caracas a new stage is beginning for Palestine,” said the Palestinian foreign minister, Riad-Al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki forms part of an official Palestinian delegation visiting Venezuela this week. The delegation is seeking to strengthen relations between the two countries following Palestine’s successful bid to have its diplomatic status upgraded to ‘non-observer member state’ by the United Nations General Assembly last Thursday.

Venezuela is the first country to be visited by a delegation from the new Palestinian entity, after the Chavez government showed strong support for Palestine’s UN bid and backed it during Israel’s recent “Pillar of Cloud” military assault on the country.

Chavez Return

In other news, early this morning Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez returned from his health visit to Cuba. He travelled to the island last week to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment as part of his recovery from cancer.

In a speech from Maiquetia International Airport the Venezuelan president got straight back to business, discussing the upcoming state elections and his intention to continue developing the Socialist Plan of the Nation, currently being debated around the country.

“We’re eight days from the victory of 16 December, just look at how we’re going from victory to victory,” he said in reference to the regional elections. “It’s the somersault of history, we are the descendants of those who were always defeated,” he continued.

The Venezuelan president also highlighted that 6 December was the 14th anniversary of his first election as president, in 1998. He then argued that while much had been achieved since his military rebellion of February 1992, “What we still have to do is much greater than what we’ve achieved [so far]”.