Bolivia Demands Respect for the Free Determination of Peoples

On Wednesday, Bolivia's President Luis Arce demanded respect for the self-determination of peoples enshrined in United Nations Charter during his intervention at the 23rd Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP).

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He also called for an end to the interventionist policies of the United States and the European Union towards Latin America and the cessation of the imposition of blockades, embargoes, and unilateral coercive measures against our peoples and other peoples of the world.

"The removal of Cuba from the list of State sponsors of terrorism, the cessation of U.S. funding for military and ideological subversion plans approved to continue the genocide against the Palestinian people to force a solution to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and to continue fueling the idea that Taiwan is not part of China," Arce also demanded.

He pointed out that the construction of the new world order must cease to be a chimera and become a reality because it is a matter of collective survival.

"From ALBA-TCP, we have much to contribute to the construction of our multipolar, fair, equitable, and inclusive world order," he emphasized.

The Bolivian President proposed that as part of the strengthening process of ALBA-TCP, it should associate with other blocs of the Global South such as the African Union, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Eurasian Economic Union, and the BRICS.

He also highlighted that ALBA-TCP has mechanisms and experiences of economic complementarity that can contribute to the constitution of a new global financial architecture.

"We will continue on the path of promoting joint policies as a bloc, and reaffirming the principles of brotherhood, solidarity, complementarity, and reciprocity. This is fundamental for strengthening our organization within the framework of the 2030 strategic agenda outlined for the benefit of all our peoples," Arce assured.

The Bolivian president emphasized that a few months before the 20th anniversary of the Alliance, it is opportune to reaffirm the commitment to promote Latin Americanism through the social, economic, political, and cultural development of the region.

"Since its creation in 2004, this Alliance has been a beacon of hope for the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean," Arce asserted.

Arce Proposes Actions in favor of Palestine

On behalf of Bolivia, Arce proposed that the ALBA-TCP Secretariat studies the possibility of forming an international brigade to support the Palestinian people.

This international brigade could include specialists in disaster relief, health professionals, food production, science, and technology.

He also proposed to offer undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to Palestinian students and invite the Palestinian State to join the ALBA-TCP.

"The humanitarian crisis currently experienced in Gaza exposes the deep deterioration of the international order and the unacceptable instrumentalization of its institutions," the Bolivian president said.

"The international community must demand that the United Nations Security Council fulfill the role for which it was founded. It must also demand its democratization," he emphasized.

Bolivia Expresses Solidarity with Mexico

In his intervention, the Andean country's president expressed solidarity with Mexico for the violent incursion of Ecuadorian police into its embassy in Quito, Ecuador's capital, on April 5.

In this regard, he described the incident as "shameful and condemnable," unprecedented in international law, so it "should not be forgotten or go unpunished."

"This act constitutes a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, especially regarding the inviolability of diplomatic premises.

On the other hand, the kidnapping of Vice President Jorge Glas violates his human right according to the Asylum Conventions of 1933 and 1954," he specified.

In this sense, he assured that "violence has no justification ever," so something like this should not be allowed to happen among states, and he condemned the actions of the Ecuadorian government.

Bolivia Warns of Threats to World Peace

The head of state warned of the increased threat to world peace and denounced that the U.S. has approved a figure of 95 billion dollars to support Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, urging ALBA-TCP to condemn these actions, within the framework of the International Day of Multilateralism and Peace Diplomacy.

"That is a clear signal that destabilization of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia will continue to be sought with violence as the main tool, opting for the path of war and militarism," he stressed.

Likewise, he expressed concern about the regional context of international relations and the interventionist actions in Central America, as well as the "deliberate imposition of blockades, embargoes, sanctions, and unilateral coercive measures against several countries in the region, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua."

On the other hand, he recalled that on other occasions, ALBA-TCP has rejected U.S. interference in internal affairs of Honduras, as well as sanctions against "14 citizens of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, some of them linked to electoral processes or government spheres."

The president also rejected the illegal seizure by the U.S. of the aircraft of the Venezuelan company Emtrasur, in February of this year, as well as the U.S. government's decision to "reverse licenses that facilitate Venezuela's operations in the oil and gas sector."

Luis Arce emphasized the non-negotiable nature of the principles conquered by the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean more than 200 years ago in the emancipatory struggles, to achieve the freedom and independence of the region.