Venezuela intends to launch its first satellite from China in November to “boost is telecommunications and broadcast capabilities,” according to an announcement by President Hugo Chávez, the European Journalism Centre (EJC) reported.

The satellite will provide coverage for numerous South American countries. It is to be lunched from Chinese Sichuan province in the southwest of the country.

The satellite will allow the country to provide for itself in terms of TV, Web and other communication platforms, the announcement stated, according to the EJC. The satellite will be named after Venezuelan hero Simon Bolivar, who in the early 1800s helped bring about the independence of much of South America from Spain.