The Bolivarian Alternative for The America (ALBA) is a proposal of integration based on fighting the poverty and social exclusion present in our Latin American and Caribbean countries. It intends to change the asymmetries that place the less strong countries at a disadvantage with the main world powers.
This initiative was promoted by the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, at the 3rd Summit of the Heads of State and/or Government of the Association of Caribbean States, celebrated in December 2001, at Margarita Island, Nueva Esparta State. The proposal was inspired in Simón Bolivar’s dream: “to see the greatest nation in the world take shape in America, and for its greatness to owe less to its size and wealth than to its freedom and glory.”
The ALBA’s priority is the union of Latin American and Caribbean countries in a single political, economic and social block, complying with three foundation pillars: cooperation, solidarity and complementarity. It is based on the thoughts of eminent Latin American figures such as: Simón Bolívar, José Martí, Antonio José de Sucre, Bernardo O’Higgins, José de San Martín and Augusto César Sandino.
This mechanism of cooperation is born in opposition to the capitalist and mercantile model of the Free Trade Area for the Americas (FTAA - ALCA), proposed by the government of the United States in the year 1994, within the frame of the First Summit of the Americas. The neo-liberal proposal represents lack of union for Latin American countries, since high levels of dependency and subordination would be created through a depredator economic development that would deepen inequalities.
The ALBA defeats the ALCA
El ALBA took the first steps towards its consolidation on December 14, 2004, in Havana, Cuba; where the presidents of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and of the Cuban Council of State, Fidel Castro, subscribed the Joint Declaration of the ALBA. In this declaration the strategic guidelines of justice, participation and solidarity for the transformation of Latin American societies were stated.
It was agreed that the cardinal principles for the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas must be based on: firstly, using trade and investment as instruments that can help achieve fair and sustainable development; secondly, a special and individualized treatment for each nation, considering the levels they each have of development and the dimensions of their economies and; thirdly, financial complementarity and cooperation between participating countries that may contribute to the fight against poverty and to preserve the different cultural identities.
Moreover, the ALBA gives an impulse to cooperation and solidarity between the less developed countries of the region, through a Continental Plan against illiteracy and a free of charge Latin American Health Plan. It also contributes to the development of transport and communications between Latin American and Caribbean countries; promotes environmental protection actions and stimulates a rationed use of resources. The Alba seeks integration in matters of energy so to guarantee a stable supply of energy products, and it also promotes the protection of and respect for autochthonous indigenous cultures of the region.
Both presidents also signed the agreement between the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the President of the Cuban Council of State for the application of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas. In this document, both executives manifested their decision of forming an integration based on the exchange of goods and services adapted to the economic and social needs of their respective countries.
First Steps Toward True Integration
The Republic of Bolivia decided to join this alternative for liberation on ALBA’s first anniversary. President Evo Morales added his signature of adhesion in the presence of his counterparts Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, on April 29, 2006, in Havana.
The Heads of State committed themselves to the elaboration of a strategic plan that will guarantee productive complementarity between nations based on a rationed use of the advantages of each country, saving resources, elevating employment rates and facilitating access to markets, among other considerations.
On the other hand, on January 11, 2007 and in the city of Managua, the Republic of Nicaragua’s adhesion was produced and this country thus became the fourth permanent member of the ALBA. The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, along with his counterparts of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, of Bolivia, Evo Morales and the Vice-president of Cuba, José Ramón Machado, sealed the commitment at the Rubén Darío Theatre of Managua, a day after the Nicaragua leader took possession of his office.
The ALBA Is a Reality
Many agreements have been signed within the frame of the consolidation of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas. Member countries of the cooperation mechanism have met in several occasions in other to build solid basis for the Latin American integration.
On May 26, 2006, Venezuela and Bolivia subscribed four agreements of energy integration for the development of projects in matters of exploration, production, refining, distribution, processing and industrialization of hydrocarbons. One of the actions undertaken through these agreements is the supply of 200 thousand barrels per month of diesel under special finance conditions for the nation of Bolivia.
Letters of intention for the installation of two extraction plants for natural gas as well as a memorandum of understanding for the creation of Fertisur, a complex destined to the manufacturing of nitrogened fertilizers, were also signed. Also subscribed were agreements for the training of 200 workers from the Bolivian energy industry by INTEVEP, the technological branch of PDVSA.
During the visit of president Chávez to the Andean country, there was also the concretion of a donation of approximately 4 thousand tons of asphalt to pave more than 50 km of road. Likewise, 520 computers and 52 printers in 52 schools of the region of Chapares were donated.
In the meantime, the Republic of Nicaragua begins its participation in the ALBA as its fourth permanent member with the signature of several agreements in matters of economy, finance, energy, industry, agriculture, medicine and culture. Among them stand out the Cooperation Agreement in the Energy Sector, for the development of the areas of petroleum, gas and electricity, as well as the Energy Cooperation Agreement Petrocaribe, which guarantees the direct shipment from Venezuela of refined products and Liquefied petroleum gas or its energy equivalents, for up to 10 thousand barrels per day.
On January 24, 2007, Venezuela and Cuba subscribed 16 bilateral cooperation agreements in matters of energy, finance, telecommunications, metallurgy-mechanics, mining, tourism, transport and agriculture, as well as two documents that will allow both countries to initiate, through PDVSA and Cuba Petróleo, exploration and certification activities of the hydrocarbon fields in the Orinoco Oil Belt and in Cuban waters of the Golf of Mexico.
Everyday the path to the unification and integration of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean is strengthened by these actions. “We are already four countries: Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela, that form part of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americans which is also Sadinist, Martinist, and Indigenist for the countries of Our America,” expressed president Chávez, while his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega, said: “Christ never said exploit one another, nor kill one another, he said love one another and the ALBA is Christ’s message.”