Following the announcement of recognition, Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh responded: "We have always looked to Venezuela and some other Latin American countries with hope. An Abkhazian delegation is now in Caracas after visiting Cuba and Nicaragua, where they received a warm welcome and support."[7] The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemned the decision by the Venezuelan government, referring to President Chávez as a "dictator" in an official statement made later on the same day.[8]