The XXIV Summit of Heads of State and Government of this integrationist platform began this Saturday in the Venezuelan capital. On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP)
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00:00Thank you very much, Nicholas, I should say the undefeated and resilient president of
00:09the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela.
00:12I want to thank Daniel for his presentation today, the historic account of the formation
00:21of Alba.
00:23And I certainly want to begin with an enduring quote, and there are many, from the late revolutionist
00:31Fidel Castro.
00:34And it states that the equal right of all citizens to health, education, work, food,
00:40security, culture, science, and well-being, that is the same rights we proclaimed when
00:46we began our struggle, in addition to those which emerge from our dreams of justice and
00:51equality for all inhabitants of our world, is what I wish for all, end of quote.
00:59These are the enduring words of one of the founding fathers of the Bolivian Alliance,
01:05whose vision and determination for an integrated Latin American and Caribbean with resilient
01:11prosperity we pursue today.
01:15We gather here today for the celebration of 20 years of Alba TCP, a successful regional
01:23institution, a movement of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.
01:29I wish to thank our founding fathers, the militant visionaries who carried a flag for
01:35the continued liberation of our Americas, Commanders Fidel Castro and Hugo Rafael Chavez-Frias.
01:44As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Alba, let us not lose sight of the living dream
01:50of Fidel and Chavez for a strong integration movement and resilient prosperity for people.
01:59Sincere thanks and gratitude to President Maduro and the government of the Bolivian
02:03Republic for their warm hospitality and the excellent leadership of Alba, literally going
02:10beyond the call of duty to ensure the viability and continuity of Alba.
02:15I look forward to returning shortly to witness and to participate in the official inauguration
02:22ceremony for the President-elect, Nicolas Maduro, in January.
02:31Colleagues, the need for our continued engagement and solidarity are critical as we confront
02:42the various challenges, the climate injustices that we are faced with, and certainly other
02:48injustices including the inequitable global financial system and the geopolitical crises,
02:56the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza, among others.
03:01Just today we discussed a new emerging threat, and that is the threat of the technological
03:08oligarchy.
03:10As a political movement that promotes the values of shared global prosperity, equality,
03:16justice, peace, and unity, we must continue to stand collectively on these values and
03:22fight injustices and violations of these values in all form.
03:28We must utilize our collective advocacy and use all measures available, including international
03:35law, to fight injustice.
03:37We must stand against the aggression of the powerful against the powerless, while ensuring
03:44that our hemisphere remains a zone of peace.
03:48Our hemisphere is home to some of the smallest and most vulnerable small island developing
03:53states on the planet that will suffer disproportionately from any hemispheric instability.
04:00That is why we all continue to advocate strenuously for our hemisphere to remain a zone of peace.
04:08While there is no military intervention in our hemisphere at this time, and we hope that
04:12there will be none in the near future, we know that our challenges may soon be compounded
04:17by a looming trade war between the United States and China, in which the former pledges
04:23to increase tariffs on goods manufactured in China by as much as 100 percent.
04:30Should they follow through, that will be devastating.
04:34The OECS member states of ALBA not only rank among the most vulnerable in the world, they
04:41have small, vulnerable, import-dependent economies that are extremely susceptible to
04:47shocks from increased prices.
04:50All of these countries are heavily dependent on trade with the United States, which is
04:55the main source market for imports, including food and the exportation of tourism services.
05:02Tarification that increases prices for U.S. and Caribbean citizens could reduce the demand
05:08for a tourism product in the U.S., while simultaneously increase the price of goods
05:13and services, including food, undermining our economic growth and our prospects of achieving
05:20the Sustainable Development Goals.
05:23This potential threat underscores the need for greater diversification of Caribbean economies
05:29to include market diversification to mitigate these risks.
05:34And we need to see increased inter-regional trade within ALBA-TCP to ensure that we could
05:41mitigate against these geopolitical threats.
05:45And I certainly want to take up President Maduro on the need for us to strengthen tourism
05:52within our integration movement.
05:54And I certainly issue an invitation to all of you here at this forum, as well as those
06:00who are watching via various media, to visit the Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda,
06:06where you can enjoy one of the best vacations anywhere in the world.
06:10These are the type of collaborations that we need to ensure that we increase trade within
06:16our integration movement.
06:18Now, the recent AgroALBA initiative, in which the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela offered
06:2425,000 acres of land to OECS member states, has come at a very opportune time, as we seek
06:32to mitigate against the threats, the existing threats, including the tariffication that
06:40is likely to take place.
06:41Now, Antigua and Barbuda is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, with
06:47persistent droughts, which have been exacerbated by climate change.
06:51This offer will help us to address and resolve our ongoing food security challenges by providing
06:57us with arable land to cultivate food.
07:01The remaining area of challenge will be the issue of transportation, both air and sea,
07:07which I'm sure, with the collective efforts, we could resolve this issue with the establishment
07:14of an ALBA transportation mechanism, utilizing existing assets, including LIAT and Conviasa,
07:23and the acquisition of assets to establish reliable sea transportation.
07:28So it's important that we continue to ensure that we're able to move goods and people within
07:34the region, as we seek to strengthen our integration movement.
07:39Our successes over the past 20 years must also serve as motivational experiences that
07:45will further stimulate our further commitment to work assiduously, and certainly smarter,
07:51in conceptualization of new and innovative projects and programs.
07:56Following on the successful Petro-Caribbean financing initiative, this agro-algal initiative
08:02is a prime example of an innovative project with the potential to transform the agricultural
08:07landscape among ALBA members.
08:10So once again, we commend President Maduro and the government of Venezuela.
08:18Agro-ALBA is certainly a win-win initiative, based on the productive and sustainable development
08:23of our countries, within a shared geopolitical perspective, promoting the consolidation of
08:29economic independence, food sovereignty, and security.
08:34This will also ensure the eradication of hunger, and consequently, the reduction of
08:38poverty, thereby maximizing the social justice among our nations.
08:43Today, we celebrate many institutions within our integration movement, including the Bank
08:49of ALBA, the Regional Compensation Unitary System, the SUCR, the ALBA-TCP Development
08:55Cooperation Agency.
08:57These are certainly all important programs, designed over the years to help member countries
09:03fight against poverty, exclusion, and eradicating social inequalities.
09:08With a vision of promoting social, political, and economic cooperation among its member
09:14countries, primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean, ALBA has successfully carried
09:19out a number of programs.
09:21And we call the Mission Miracle, which provides free surgeries and educational programs that
09:27have had a significant impact on our communities.
09:30We also recall Petro-Caribbean, which I understand will be revived, will be bigger and better.
09:38This had allowed countries to purchase oil from Venezuela on favorable terms, and would
09:44have helped many member states, especially during the global crisis.
09:47In fact, it was a lifeline for member states during the global crisis.
09:52Colleagues, our founding fathers, comrades Fidel and Chavez, have left us a legacy of
09:59determination and creativity in our efforts to further strengthen the integration of Latin
10:04America and the Caribbean, creating the requisite integration mechanism to further strengthen
10:09our efforts for equal rights, justice, and peace.
10:14It is in difficult times like these that we need to strengthen our Hemispheric Integration
10:19Movement, ALBA-TCP, which promotes engagement and fraternal ties between Latin America and
10:26Caribbean nations.
10:28By so doing, it can further help us navigate the economic and social challenges that we'll
10:33face from time to time.
10:35Resilience, inclusion, and sustainability, including the achievement of the Sustainable
10:40Development Goals, are key to shaping our present response to the current political,
10:45economic, and social crises.
10:48Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial
10:54integrity, non-intervention, and certainly non-interference in internal affairs of states.
11:01These are among the values that underpin our relationship with our brother and sister countries
11:05in ALBA.
11:06We continue to stand with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, denouncing the unilateral coercive
11:13measures against them, and reiterate our numerous calls for an end to the senseless embargo
11:20against Cuba and its people.
11:24We stand with the government and people of Venezuela in support of its duly elected president,
11:31President-elect Nicolas Maduro.
11:35And we also take this opportunity to condemn the efforts of all who seek to interfere in
11:43the internal affairs of Venezuela, to recognize or perhaps forcefully to install any imposter
11:51who purports to be the president of Venezuela.
11:55Venezuela has one duly elected president, that is Nicolas Maduro, and Antigua and Barbuda
12:08recognize no other.
12:11So no Guaido 2.0 or any other.
12:15Comrades, the Bolivarian Alliance, of which we are all proud members, can only achieve
12:21optimum social and economic well-being of our people if we work closely together in
12:26mutual solidarity.
12:27Our ALBA-TCP movement has survived 20 years and continues to thrive.
12:34Let us continue to collaborate and cooperate with each other to strengthen our movement
12:38for the benefit of all.
12:40Long live ALBA, long live the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela and its duly elected president,
12:46our brother and friend, Nicolas Maduro.
12:49I thank you.