Category: Highlights

President Díaz-Canel meets with ALBA-TCP Executive Secretary Jorge Arreaza

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Havana, Cuba, March 18, 2024.- The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) Jorge Arreaza met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on Monday, to discuss the 2030 Agenda of the regional integration mechanism, in which Venezuela and Cuba are founding […]

Havana, Cuba, March 18, 2024.- The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) Jorge Arreaza met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on Monday, to discuss the 2030 Agenda of the regional integration mechanism, in which Venezuela and Cuba are founding members.

At the meeting, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, addressed the active role to be played by ALBA-TCP in the region, and also congratulated Arreaza for his appointment at the head of the “Our American” Alliance, founded by Commanders Hugo Chávez Frías and Fidel Castro Ruz in December 2004.

The President highlighted that no other bloc in the region has produced as many results in such a short period of time as the Alliance has, particularly in health cooperation, such as Misión Milagro (Eye surgery social program), literacy brigades, Petrocaribe and other programs promoted by its leaders, which have benefited millions of people.

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary stated “We have to protect ALBA-TCP and reactivate it”.

Arreaza reiterated to the Cuban authorities the solidarity of the bloc against the latest destabilization attempts on the island, instigated by U.S. imperialism, through the use of fake content aimed at encouraging a social uprising.

“It is another destabilization attempt of the U.S. government to not only besiege Cuba with the blockade and new laws, but also, once under siege, to seek to destabilize using toxic social network platforms to trigger an unfounded social outbreak,” warned the ALBA-TCP Executive Secretary.

The presidency of the Cuban nation, through its X account @PresidenciaCuba, welcomed the support communiqué issued by the countries of the bloc, which are all “deeply friendly and in solidarity with Cuba”, so “they felt they had to issue a statement in less than 24 hours, show their solidarity with Cuba and alert the world that these actions are closely linked to imperialism”.

In the communiqué, the members of the Alliance strongly condemned the attempts aimed at undermining Cuba’s internal order, revealing that such actions seek to take advantage of the difficult economic situation faced by the Caribbean nation, worsened by the U.S. blockade.

During the meeting with Arreaza, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said: “we exchanged views on the future of the Alliance’s cooperation programs”.

The construction of the ALBA-TCP 2030 Agenda presents a series of actions in four horizons: economic, political, social and cultural, which seek to give an extraordinary drive to the process of comprehensive consolidation of the bloc by 2030, with high-impact actions proposed within the short and medium term.

A week ago, in order to discuss the 2030 Agenda of the bloc formed by 10 Latin American and Caribbean countries, Secretary Arreaza met with the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and his Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa.

ALBA-TCP rejects U.S. government-induced destabilization against Cuba

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The member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) expressed their rejection of the new destabilization attempts against the Republic of Cuba, perpetrated through smear campaigns by the U.S. Government in recent days. In the communiqué, the members of the Alliance strongly condemned the attempts aimed at undermining […]

The member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) expressed their rejection of the new destabilization attempts against the Republic of Cuba, perpetrated through smear campaigns by the U.S. Government in recent days.

In the communiqué, the members of the Alliance strongly condemned the attempts aimed at undermining Cuba’s internal order, stressing that such actions seek to take advantage of the difficult economic situation faced by the Caribbean nation, worsened by the U.S. blockade.

“The government of the United States continues its attempts to provoke a social outbreak, tightening the economic siege, sabotaging the State’s capacity to respond to the requirements of the people”, according to the document.

The Alliance reiterated its rejection of the dissemination of these messages through “toxic platforms”, highlighting that this contravenes international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

It is important to emphasize that the hardships suffered by the Cuban people, such as the current power supply situation and the difficulties in food distribution, are direct consequences of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. government during more than 60 years on the brotherly country.

“Cuba is an example of resilience, work and resistance for all Latin America and the Caribbean and its authorities have had, have and will have all the willingness to face and improve the conditions that this worthy nation has been subjected to for years, as a result of the hatred and contempt of the enemies of the Cuban Revolution”, the text states.

This weekend, President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel called for calm and also denounced that unrest is being promoted from South Florida, United States.

Finally, the ALBA-TCP member countries reaffirmed their firm solidarity with the Cuban government and people, supporting their legitimate denunciation against enemy campaigns and recognizing their tireless efforts to overcome all difficulties.

ALBA-TCP presents in Bolivia the 2030 Agenda focused on cooperation and solidarity

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Santa Cruz, March 11, 2024.- The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, participated in the International Seminar “New Regional Financial Architecture. Challenges for a better integration in a changing world”, held this Monday in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The panelists included the Vice […]

Santa Cruz, March 11, 2024.- The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, participated in the International Seminar “New Regional Financial Architecture. Challenges for a better integration in a changing world”, held this Monday in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

The panelists included the Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, who talked about “Unilateral Economic Sanctions”; the former President of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who addressed the topic “Coordination of a Multipolar World”; the former President of Colombia, Ernesto Samper, who referred to the “Challenges of Regional Integration, 15 years after UNASUR”; and the former President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, who spoke on “The New Regional Financial Architecture”.

During his speech, Jorge Arreaza highlighted that the regional bloc formed by Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica and St. Lucia, is currently present and active for the other integration instruments.

“ALBA-TCP is not an integration mechanism, it is a union mechanism (…) the main goal is to listen to the peoples at the same hierarchical level of the foreign ministers, of the political and economic councils, we complement each other, we do not compete (…) the Alliance belongs to the peoples”, he said.

Jorge Arreaza reiterated that ALBA-TCP stands open to the region for the integration of our peoples, for the complementarity of economies, cooperation, solidarity and social improvement.

2030 Agenda | Economic Perspective

Despite imperial strategies, Arreaza stated that the regional bloc is working on the 2030 agenda, aimed at a new economic perspective, in which a dynamic, complementary and fair trade relation among the member countries of the Alliance is expected to be achieved.

“We have to meet again and discuss the tariff terms of our countries”, but not based on the same criteria, but according to the economies of each nation and taking into account the existing asymmetries, he added.

In the 2030 Agenda, the Alliance is working on several strategic areas involving the comprehensive development of communications and transportation, the promotion of Latin American capital investment, energy integration, respect for the environment, the defense of Latin American and Caribbean identity and culture, as well as the coordination of multilateral positions with countries and blocs in other regions.

Union achievements

Founded in December 2004 by the presidents of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and Cuba, Fidel Castro, with a joint declaration signed in Havana, the current Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty made significant achievements strengthening the union of member nations.

The Executive Secretary of this regional mechanism highlighted the creation of Petrocaribe as one of the main achievements, a mechanism that “saved the Caribbean countries from a humanitarian crisis in 2008 and 2011 during the economic depression of that time”.

He said that ALBA-TCP saved the Caribbean countries from an unprecedented migratory situation, especially Haiti, despite not being a member country, but a guest country.

In his speech, Arreaza also stressed that the Alliance provided a humanitarian air bridge through the Venezuelan airline Conviasa, addressing situations of natural disasters in sister countries, as well as support with supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.

He pointed out that more than five and a half million people have recovered their sight for free through Misión Milagro, a social program created by ALBA-TCP.

Likewise, the regional bloc successfully taught approximately five million people to read and write, a historic achievement for all the members of the bloc.

Over 1,600 surgeries were conducted through the Latin American Children’s Cardiology Hospital in Venezuela, all managed through ALBA.

In the energy sector, Venezuela, through ALBA-TCP, sold oil to the other member States and created the Bank of ALBA, but as a result of the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government and its allies in Europe, these mechanisms are at a standstill, Arreaza denounced.

In addition, he stated that unilateral coercive measures greatly hindered literacy, economic exchange, education, health, among other programs promoted by ALBA-TCP. “That is the damage done by the United States to the ALBA countries”, he continued.

Venezuela and the new international system

The Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, attended the international seminar on behalf of Venezuela, a member of the regional bloc, addressing the topic: “Unilateral Economic Sanctions”.

In this regard, Rodriguez stated that a new international financial system is essential, especially amidst times of blockades and sanctions.

Rodriguez emphasized that it is necessary to consider that during the last five years one of the most terrible blockades ever known to mankind was hatched.

“Nowadays there are over 26,000 unilateral coercive measures in the world, and out of those 26,000, Venezuela has 930, but 96% of those measures are concentrated in 10 countries”, she added, noting that “the hegemon subdues and uses unilateral coercive measures – wrongly called sanctions – as a means of extortion against countries not aligned with them”.

Rodriguez called for saving in the local currencies of each country in the region. “We have to finance ourselves with our local currencies,” she stated.

She recalled that Venezuela had to look for its own ways to face sanctions. “Blocking Venezuela not only affected our country, but the region as a whole,” she noted.

Other alternative views

During the seminar “New regional financial architecture. Challenges for a better integration in a changing world”, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, former president of Spain, stressed that Latin America has the challenge of contributing to a global debate in favor of multilateralism, which is a key factor of hope for 2024.

Zapatero also expressed his hope for the emergence of a new generation that will succeed in abolishing war. “The essential problem of this first quarter of the 21st century is violence and the weakness of the pacifist movements”.

He added: “The international political order must be changed and we must be open to these changes”.

He also said that trade and migratory relations continue to be very strong between Latin America and Europe, although he admitted that the European Union is currently experiencing an identity crisis.

“Latin America has only one answer for economic development: integration and reducing inequalities, which will be achieved with a new fiscal model, for example,” he stated.

Former Colombian President Ernesto Samper talked about the “Challenges of Regional Integration, 15 years after UNASUR”.

In this sense, he explained: “Integration has never been as important as it is at this moment”. In the case of Colombia, he pointed out that his country decided to join the “hegemonic integration” led by the U.S. empire.

He mentioned that the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR in Spanish) started with political integration: “We had recovered the concept of Homeland, we had territorial problems, but they were not solved with wars. The region aimed at democratic participation and human rights. UNASUR was our most complex and advanced integration experience”.

Samper emphasized that the region is an oasis of peace, while proposing to add value to the products of each Latin American nation, “we must strengthen our financial mechanisms. The world is dollarized and this is not globalization, but de-globalization”.

During the meeting in Bolivia, former Argentine President Alberto Fernández reflected on “The New Regional Financial Architecture”.

He reiterated that Latin America must work focused on fighting social inequality. “11 people have 40% of the world’s wealth (…) we live in a deeply unequal world,” he stressed.

11 years after Chávez’s sowing: leader of Latin American and Caribbean integration

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Caracas, March 5, 2024.- The Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Commander of the Bolivarian Revolution, passed into eternity on March 5, 2013. He passionately promoted with his charisma and leadership all the integration mechanisms established in Latin America and the Caribbean in this century, especially the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s […]

Caracas, March 5, 2024.- The Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Commander of the Bolivarian Revolution, passed into eternity on March 5, 2013. He passionately promoted with his charisma and leadership all the integration mechanisms established in Latin America and the Caribbean in this century, especially the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), which he created in December 2004 together with the Cuban revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, based on the dream of Simón Bolívar’s Great Homeland.

The political leader, who ruled Venezuela elected by popular vote from 1999 until his physical passing in 2013, was born in Sabaneta de Barinas on July 28, 1954, being the second of six siblings of the marriage sealed between Hugo de los Reyes Chávez and Elena Frías.

After leading a civic-military uprising on February 4, 1992, widely remembered for the famous “for now” phrase, Chavez won the presidential elections in December 1998 and took office on February 2, 1999, when he immediately called for the election of a Constituent Assembly that drafted a new and advanced Magna Carta, approved by the people in December that year.

Regarding internal affairs, the new President undertook together with the people the development of a socialist project through a democratic revolution, based on the inclusion in all areas of the sectors historically deprived by the previous governments.

Regarding foreign policy, his administration was focused on promoting a new multipolar and pluricentric world, opening Venezuela to cooperation with emerging countries such as Russia, China, Iran, Turkey and South Africa; leading Latin American and Caribbean integration and strengthening ties of brotherhood with the countries of Mother Africa.

Southern progressive leader

After creating ALBA along with Cuban leader Fidel Castro in December 2004, which would later be renamed ALBA-TCP (Peoples’ Trade Treaty) with the growing incorporation of other countries, Petrocaribe was launched in June 2005, the main energy integration mechanism in the history of the Caribbean States.

In November 2005, the ALBA-TCP bloc, in strategic coordination with the emerging progressive bloc of South America, worked with Lula da Silva of Brazil and Néstor Kirchner of Argentina to defeat the colonialist proposal of the United States, known as the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas).

In the same spirit of unity and integration, the Venezuelan president promoted, together with his strategic allies, two equally relevant instruments: UNASUR, the Union of South American Nations, founded in 2008; and based on its development, CELAC, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, created in 2010. This last space is the first in history to bring together the 33 States of Latin America and the Caribbean. That is to say, all of the Americas, except for the United States and Canada.

In this journey, Chavez became aware of the importance of the ideological, cultural and communicational battle. For this reason, in 2005, he founded Telesur, a multi-state television channel, which proposed to fight the news direction of the empire’s media corporations and become the information source for the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Chávez participated in all multilateral spaces to promote the re-foundation of a fairer international order and in that sense, he repeatedly urged for the reorganization of the United Nations system. He was a shining warning beacon against the consequences of capitalism in the world’s future, such as the impact of its predatory model in the growing climate crisis and poverty. He was also a tireless and committed advocate for peace and dialogue.

ALBA-TCP countries attend the VIII CELAC Summit and reaffirm defense of peace and regional unity

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Kingstown, March 1, 2024.- The countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) attended this Friday the VIII Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) – along with its Executive Secretary Jorge Arreaza – held in Kingstown, capital city of Saint Vincent and […]

Kingstown, March 1, 2024.- The countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) attended this Friday the VIII Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) – along with its Executive Secretary Jorge Arreaza – held in Kingstown, capital city of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The member countries of the regional bloc supported CELAC’s proposal to strengthen social inclusion and the integration of peoples, as well as the need to defend peace and unity.

Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica, and St. Lucia, were the participating Alliance countries.

During the meeting, the regional bloc endorsed the final CELAC Declaration condemning the killing of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including over 30,000 Palestinians killed since the beginning of Israel’s assault on Gaza.

The members countries of the Alliance also supported the call of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States to the United Nations for an immediate ceasefire and the fulfillment of international law by all parties to the conflict, especially the protection of civilians.

Earlier, on X social network, the ALBA-TCP Secretary stated: “we strongly reject the military attack by the Israeli army on the northern Gaza Strip perpetrated on February 29, 2024, where over a hundred innocent people were killed”.

Arreaza added that “the Alliance deeply regrets this new attack, which constitutes an unprecedented massacre of the Palestinian people”.

ALBA-TCP participates in Secretariats meeting within the framework of the VIII CELAC Summit

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Kingstown, March 1, 2024.- The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) participated in a meeting with regional Secretariats this Friday, within the framework of the VIII Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Kingstown, capital city of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The meeting – which was focused on social inclusion and […]

Kingstown, March 1, 2024.- The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) participated in a meeting with regional Secretariats this Friday, within the framework of the VIII Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Kingstown, capital city of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The meeting – which was focused on social inclusion and the integration of peoples – was attended by the secretaries of: ALBA-TCP, Jorge Arreaza; the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), Clarems Endara; the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), Sergio Abreu; the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Carla Barnett; the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Rodolfo Sabonge; the Andean Community (CAN), Gonzalo Gutierrez; and the Central American Integration System (SICA), Ingrid Figueroa.

During his speech, ACS Secretary Rodolfo Sabongestated that connectivity is a key issue for progress in the development of ALBA member countries and other multilateral organizations in the region.

“In this fourth industrial revolution, beyond a technology platform for our communication, we need to take a step forward in knowledge and in the implementation of these tools (such as AI),” he said. 

Sabonge stressed that, within the context of CELAC, it is important to promote mechanisms to help reduce the effects of climate change. 

Meanwhile, the ALBA-TCP Executive Secretary, Jorge Arreaza, emphasized that social inclusion is fundamental for this international mechanism, as well as health and literacy programs.

He highlighted that it is necessary to continue promoting programs such as Misión Milagro, as a social mechanismto provide eye care to thousands of people in the region. 

Likewise, he mentioned that physical and digital connectivity topics are essential. “Regarding the artificial intelligence (AI) subject, as far as CELAC is concerned, our support should lead to a discussion on a code of ethics, so that artificial intelligence does not sweep away the processes of mankind”, added the ALBA Executive Secretary.

Arreaza recalled during the meeting that there are seven Caribbean Island countries and three mainland countries in ALBA, and out of those seven, six are CARICOMmembers. 

Additionally, Arreaza invited the Secretary of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Didacus Jules, to join ALBA. 

Joint Statement

The heads of the secretariats of the regional and integration organizations ALADI, CARICOM, ALBA-TCP, AEC, SICA, SELA and CAN, as guests at the VIII CELACSummit, committed, through a joint statement, to work on a cooperation agenda to promote regional integration.

In said statement, dated March 1, 2024, they agreed to work together to continue promoting the development of Latin America and the Caribbean. 

They also expressed their commitment to increase exchanges in social, economic, social and cultural matters. Ensuring food security, as well as developing digital and security programs, are also part of the common agenda for the benefit of the peoples.


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ALBA-TCP Political Council demands lifting of unilateral coercive measures imposed on member countries

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The Foreign Ministers of the ALBA-TCP member countries demanded the immediate lifting of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. Government on some countries of the region, particularly Venezuelan and Nicaragua, as they have a negative impact on their societies and represent further obstacles in those nations’ fight against COVID-19.

The Foreign Ministers of the ALBA-TCP member countries demanded the immediate lifting of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. Government on some countries of the region, particularly Venezuelan and Nicaragua, as they have a negative impact on their societies and represent further obstacles in those nations’ fight against COVID-19.

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ALBA-TCP Executive Secretary warns about crisis of multilateralism

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The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Sacha Llorenti, warned that multilateralism is under vicious attacks from the right wing.

The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Sacha Llorenti, warned that multilateralism is under vicious attacks from the right wing.

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ALBA-TCP creates fund to guarantee treatments and vaccines against COVID-19

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The Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Sunday the creation of a $2 million fund to procure vaccines and treatments against COVID-19 for the member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America- People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP).

The Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Sunday the creation of a $2 million fund to procure vaccines and treatments against COVID-19 for the member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America- People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP).

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