Caracas, December 14, 2024 – Drums, flags, and the new song Somos el ALBA set the stage for the remarks of the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, during the 24th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America–Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP). The summit, held in Caracas this Saturday, marked the 20th anniversary of the regional bloc’s founding by Commanders Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro.

During his address, the Head of State highlighted that in the private session, presidents and prime ministers agreed that “humanity now has a great opportunity to experience, for the first time, a world without hegemons, empires, or colonialism.”

“Today, with the ALBA Agenda, we are charting significant progress in a new political, economic, and social offensive that ALBA will activate at this moment for a springtime of advancement and unity,” President Maduro announced.

The first initiative discussed was AgroALBA, a program focused on food production, agreed upon through memoranda of understanding with Caribbean and African countries. “A new phase of Petrocaribe is also on the horizon, which will be led by Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez. Together, we will invest in and produce oil and gas through joint ventures. The Orinoco Oil Belt will serve as the stage for this new phase of Petrocaribe,” he explained.

The President also mentioned discussions about new investments in technology. This includes plans to sign the Peoples’ Trade Treaty (TCP) to enhance trade facilitation between Latin America and the Caribbean.

“We discussed the revival of monetary and trade exchange platforms, supported by the concept of the Sucre, and our monetary and financial authorities will bring this to fruition… We also addressed challenges in science and technology, artificial intelligence, and social media,” he revealed.

President Maduro further announced that the Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation of the Bolivarian Alliance for Our Peoples is ready to be inaugurated. This project was initially discussed during the previous ALBA Summit in Havana, Cuba.

He emphasized that ALBA-TCP remains a pathway to peace and reiterated the importance of unity and building a protective wall for the region.

Another key challenge for ALBA, according to the Venezuelan leader, is supporting Haiti. “Despite limitations, we must help Haiti regain peace. ALBA has specific directives to advance in every way possible to support Haiti,” he affirmed.