ALBA-TCP Ratified Integration of Latin American and Caribbean Peoples

With cultural expressions and interventions by heads of State and delegates from Latin American and Caribbean nations, the XVII Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) ends with a political-cultural ceremony.

RELATED:
ALBA-TCP to Speed Formation of a 'Peace Zone' in Latin America

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro highlighted the integrationist work of the organization (ALBA-TCP) in the region, "the idea of coming with the reflections, with the energy and spirit of the Cuban youth to close this Summit of the ALBA countries has been wonderful," he said.

"We have decided to relaunch with great force for the first half of the year 2020, the Petrocaribe project, the Miracle Mission and ALBA Cultural  (...) ALBA has demonstrated the practical capacity to impact in the lives of our peoples," Maduro added.

For his part, the great minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, highlighted the leading role of young people and reiterated that ALBA represents the closest option of unity, "this mechanism of integration is in the vanguard of the unification of the progressive movements," he said.

"Imperialism is the antithesis of this integration mechanism, which is why ALBA-TCP is in the vanguard of the battle against imperialism and in correspondence with this, the assembled countries represent the best of the region (...)  we make a wider call against imperialism and neoliberalism, " Gonsalves stressed.

The Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, spoken that thanks to Chavez and Fidel, ALBA became a reality, "the eternal commanders created the conditions for the grouped peoples to continue with the integration of the region," he said.

On the other hand, the Cuban president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, recalled the importance of the organization in the face of the sharpened aggressions by the United States against Venezuela, as well as its interventionist purpose of activating the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR), "democracy has never been so offended by talking about it while it is trampled on," he denounced.

Diaz-Canel also expressed his solidarity with Nicaragua and the former Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as regretted the hundreds of deaths in Colombia, Chile and Bolivia, "Cuba reaffirms its support and solidarity with our comrade Evo Morales," he said.

The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) Saturday began its 17th Summit in Havana with the call of Cuban President to consolidate a "Zone of Peace" in Latin America and the Caribbean.​​​​​​

The declaration of the summit stand out, first of all, the integration of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean "in the face of growing threats to self-determination, sovereignty, peace and regional stability."

It also ratified the commitment to the construction of an alternative model of economic sovereignty, expressed in a New Financial Architecture, to consolidate a system of reciprocal, solidary, participatory exchange and cooperation that strengthens economic and commercial freedom in the region.

Actions to combat climate change and the rejection of the coup against the constitutional president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, were part of the points raised in the summit declaration.

"The ALBA has been and must continue to be a front of unity and resistance to the empire, the coup and the interventionist positions towards the peoples of the continent," the Cuban president said.