Recently, the Regional Director for Communities and External Cooperation, Sancho Gomes, highlighted the absence of twinnings between Madeiran and Venezuelan municipalities during an official visit to Venezuela. However, a review of news archives reveals that a twinning agreement between the municipality of Porto Santo and El Hatillo, Venezuela, was formally signed in September 2007.
The agreement was signed by Porto Santo's mayor, Roberto Silva, and his Venezuelan counterpart, Alfredo Catalán Shick. The formalization was marked by a celebration in Venezuela, featuring the participation of Porto Santo's Folkloric Group.
Previously, in 2001, then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez had suggested a twinning between Funchal and the island of Margarita, a proposal that did not materialize. In 2004, the possibility of a link between Porto Santo and El Hatillo was also discussed, but the agreement was only formalized in 2007.
