On Monday, January 1st, 2026, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Haiti commemorated the 222nd anniversary of the Battle of Vertières with a floral tribute to the Liberator Simón Bolívar at the National Pantheon in Caracas. This revolutionary feat solidified the victory of an enslaved people against the French colonialists and marked Haiti's independence from one of the greatest military powers of the time.

The ceremony was co-chaired by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Caribbean, Raúl Li Causi, and the Haitian Ambassador to Venezuela, Jean Mary Vaval, accompanied by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to the country.

Led by independence hero Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and supported by Generals Christoph Pétion, Clervaeus, Romain, and the valiant Capois La Mort, this legendary armed confrontation began on November 18, 1803, and is considered a decisive act and the greatest achievement of the independence movement.

This uprising, recognized as the first major revolutionary movement in colonial America, took place in a deeply unequal territory with a population of approximately 570,000, 88% of whom were slaves.

The relationship between Caracas and Port-au-Prince is marked by a long history of cooperation and mutual support. From the historic aid provided by Alexandre Pétion to Bolívar to the Petrocaribe energy agreements and humanitarian assistance following the 2010 earthquake, the two countries have cultivated an alliance based on solidarity. Venezuela has contributed to projects in Haiti in areas such as health, education, infrastructure, and energy.

Yván Gil, Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of Haiti’s 222nd Independence Day, sent a message of solidarity reaffirming Venezuela’s support for Haiti in its struggle for liberation from foreign interference, seeing Haiti as a beacon for the oppressed.

In this message, Venezuela celebrates Haiti as the “Mother Nation of Liberties” in Latin America and the Caribbean, recalling that on January 1, 1804, Haiti became the first independent republic led by people of African descent and the first nation to abolish slavery. Yván Gil pays tribute to Toussaint Louverture, the revolutionary leader whose legacy inspires anti-colonial struggles, and recalls his famous phrase : "The liberation of peoples cannot be overturned". Venezuela emphasizes that Haiti's strength and hope lie in the dignity of its people.

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S/ HaitiLibre