Caracas, February 3, 2025 – “We must consider what actions we can take together to improve the lives of our peoples and enhance our global production,” stated the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, as he began his address at the 12th Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America–Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), held in Venezuela.

Gonsalves expressed his support for the proposal made by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to activate an air and maritime fleet for the Bolivarian Alliance as soon as possible. Additionally, he called for an acceleration of the AgroALBA initiative to strengthen food sovereignty in the region.

“We must continue to strengthen integration and cooperation. We must work as effectively as possible within the multilateral system, advocate for peace instead of war, and ensure that all regional institutions to which we belong, including ALBA, implement practical applications of achievable goals and build consensus on the way forward,” the Prime Minister stated.

Gonsalves noted that the United States exerts influence through the imposition of tariffs. “The response of governments to these tariffs must be to foster greater stability,” he explained, while pointing out that the economic measures imposed by the United States on China, Mexico, and Canada will create further contradictions in the global economy.

“It will not be easy for those of us in the developing world to deal with the effects of the contradictions stemming from the nationalist factions of this monopolistic capitalism,” Gonsalves warned.

Likewise, he voiced his support for the defense of migrants’ human rights, as well as for the promotion of science and artificial intelligence to benefit the member states of ALBA.