Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Public Works, Housing and Urban Planning, Engineer José Carlos Esteves, has arrived in Caracas to advance a landmark bilateral cooperation agreement with Venezuela, focusing on social housing and road infrastructure development.
The visit marks a significant follow-up to commitments made during President Umaro Sissoco Embaló’s recent diplomatic mission to Venezuela, where he was received by President Nicolás Maduro.
The agreement, aimed at bolstering Guinea-Bissau’s national development strategy, is expected to deliver tangible outcomes in the coming months.
A central feature of the agreement is the transfer of expertise from Venezuela’s renowned “Gran Misión Vivienda Venezolana” initiative—a national housing program launched to tackle urban poverty.
Through this collaboration, Venezuela will assist Guinea-Bissau in designing and implementing a pilot project for the construction of 200 low-cost housing units.
“This strategic cooperation will provide us with technical guidance and practical experience as we take the first steps toward large-scale social housing,” said Esteves ahead of high-level meetings with Venezuelan officials.
Infrastructure also features prominently in the agreement.
As part of the deal, Venezuela will donate between 1,500 and 3,000 tons of bitumen—an essential material for road construction—supporting Guinea-Bissau’s efforts to modernize its transport network.
During his stay in Caracas, Minister Esteves is expected to meet with key figures from Venezuela’s Ministry of People’s Power for Habitat and Housing, the Gran Misión Vivienda Venezolana program, Barrio Nuevo Tricolor, and the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Petroleum.
The discussions aim to lay the groundwork for future projects and finalize technical cooperation frameworks.
The partnership reflects a broader effort by both nations to deepen South-South collaboration, leveraging mutual strengths in housing policy and infrastructure development to improve living standards and economic resilience.
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