On behalf of President Miguel Díaz Canel, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla arrived on Thursday in Caracas to take part in the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), themed “Alliance for Life and Independence.”
The Summit will discuss the post-pandemic action plan and commemorate the Bicentennial of the Battle of Carabobo, the heroic deed that sealed Venezuela’s independence.
Upon arrival at the Simón Bolívar International Airport, the Cuban foreign minister was welcomed by Venezuela’s Planning Vice-president.
The Republic of Cuba and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela are founding members of the Alliance, created on December 14, 2004, when then Presidents of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and Cuba, Fidel Castro, endorsed the agreement for its establishment in Havana as a Latin American, Caribbean integration platform based on solidarity, complementarity, justice and cooperation to combine the capacities and strength of its member states.
Amid the pandemic, Cuba’s cooperation and solidarity have been key to face the health crisis as the Caribbean country has sent medical brigades and medicines to the countries of the bloc and other regions in the world.
Also, regarding the vaccines Cuba is developing, the Cuban Government has affirmed that, once they are authorized, they will be available to the world. Cuba’s three-shot Abdala vaccine has proved an over 92% efficacy. Together with the Soberana 02 vaccine, Abdala is the most advanced vaccine of the five candidates in the island.
ALBA-TCP has strongly rejected the absurd inclusion of the Republic of Cuba in the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism by the U.S. administration.
Likewise, on June 23, 2021, at the United Nations General Assembly, the ALBA-TCP countries were part of the 184 countries that voted in favor of a new resolution demanding the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba over 60 years ago.