Address by the Delegation of the Executive Secretariat of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America Peoples’ Trade Treaty

Caribbean Regional Seminar on the Implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism

“Pursuing goals and addressing needs of the Non-self-governing territories” Under the program theme entitled

“Political Developments in Non-Self-Governing Territories: in the Caribbean Region”

Caracas, 14 May 2024

Madam Chair,

ALBA-TCP is anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist by nature, we are in solidarity with all the processes of decolonization and de-neo-colonization in the world. The last six statements have been made by ALBA-TCP member countries, to address the issues of Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands.

In the case of Puerto Rico, Bolivar in 1815, in the Letter of Jamaica, said: “The islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba (…) are the lands most tranquilly possessed by the Spaniards, because they have no contact with the independents. But are those island dwellers not Americans? Are they not abused? Do they not seek their own good?”

We know that if Simón Bolívar had lived 10 more years, he would have drawn his sword to defend the independence of Cuba and Puerto Rico. The decolonization of Puerto Rico, therefore, has been a common and historic cause of the Latin American and Caribbean region, and in particular of the ALBA-TCP States, who support the who support the resolution on the self-determination of the Puerto Rican people, in accordance with international law, so that Puerto Rico, as a free, sovereign and independent State, may finally assume its rightful place in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

We are deeply concerned that the decolonization of Puerto Rico has been on the C-24 agenda for over five decades, yet the United States of America today exercises an ever-deepening control over the national life of the Puerto Rican people, thus limiting our sister nation’s ability to develop and make its own decisions. It is shameful that Puerto Rico today does not even have the autonomy to make its own timely decisions and actions, without U.S. tutelage, in the event of a sudden phenomenon such as a hurricane or any other type of natural disaster.

Finally, from ALBA-TCP, we once again reaffirm our support and solidarity to all the Puerto Rican people, we look forward to the day when Puerto Rico finally sits at this table as one more free and sovereign State of Our America. Decolonization is the path to the development of peace.

Thank you very much.