In October 1968, two years after Venezuela opened one of its first embassies in Asia in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited the resource-rich South American nation. The 18-hour visit was the penultimate leg of a Latin America tour that covered Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and Trinidad, among other countries.

From the outset, Caracas rolled out the red carpet for Gandhi. At Simon Bolívar Maiquetia Airport, she was greeted by an unusually large delegation that included the Venezuelan president and vice-president, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the attorney general, cabinet ministers and members of the clergy.

“Her arrival was marked by festivity, warmth and hospitality, solidarity and applause,” Venezuelan academic Hernan Lucena Molero wrote in a 2013 paper titled Indira Gandhi in Venezuela (1968-2013): 45th Anniversary of a Historic Visit. “Security was provided by female personnel deputed by the Venezuelan state; flags from both countries lined the runway and many journalists intent on doing their job, unmindful of the pushing and shoving by the military police, covered the event.”

Breaking protocol, Gandhi asked Venezuelan President Raul Leoni to let her accept bouquets from locals and Indian expatriate children. “The airport was filled, thanks to a significant turnout by the Venezuelan public,”...

Read more