ALBA

| Antigua and Barbuda | Bolivia (suspended) | Cuba | Dominica | Grenada | Nicaragua | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Venezuela | | | Suriname | | | Haiti | Iran | | | Honduras | Ecuador | | | Syria | ?.?% White | ?.?% Mulatto | ?.?% Mestizo | ?.?% Amerindian | ?.?% Black | ?.?% Mixed | ?.?% other

| Venezuela Bolívar | Bolivia Boliviano | Nicaragua Córdoba | Antigua and BarbudaDominicaGrenada Saint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the Grenadines EC dollar | Cuba Peso |Antigua and Barbuda .ag |Bolivia .bo |Cuba .cu |Dominica .dm |Grenada .gd |Nicaragua .ni |Saint Kitts and Nevis .kn |Saint Lucia .lc |Saint Vincent and the Grenadines .vc |Venezuela .ve ALBA or ALBA–TCP, formally the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America () or the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty (), is an intergovernmental organization based on the idea of political and economic integration of Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Founded initially by Cuba and Venezuela in 2004, it is associated with socialist and social democratic governments wishing to consolidate regional economic integration based on a vision of social welfare, bartering and mutual economic aid. The ten member countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela. Suriname was admitted to ALBA as a guest country at a February 2012 summit.

History

The agreement was proposed by the government of Venezuela, led by Hugo Chávez as an alternative to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA or ALCA in Spanish, an agreement proposed by the United States), which never materialized.

This Cuba–Venezuela Agreement, signed on 14 December 2004, by President Chávez and Cuban leader Fidel Castro, was aimed at the exchange of medical and educational resources and petroleum between the two nations. Venezuela began to deliver about 96,000 barrels of oil per day from its state-owned oil company, PDVSA, to Cuba at very favorable prices. In exchange, Cuba sent 20,000 state-employed medical staff and thousands of teachers to Venezuela's poorest states. The agreement also made it possible for Venezuelans to travel to Cuba for specialized medical care, free of charge.

When it was launched in 2004, ALBA had only two member states, Venezuela and Cuba. Subsequently, a number of other Latin American and Caribbean nations entered into this 'Peoples' Trade Agreement' (Spanish: Tratado de Comercio de los Pueblos, or TCP), which aims to implement the principles of ALBA. Bolivia under Evo Morales joined in 2006, Nicaragua under Daniel Ortega in 2007, and Ecuador under Rafael Correa in 2009. Honduras, under Manuel Zelaya, joined in 2008, but withdrew in 2010 after the 2009 Honduran coup d'état. The Caribbean nations Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia also joined.

Jamaica, at the invitation of Chávez, and Mexico, at the invitation of Ortega, were invited to join the ALBA countries. Chávez also invited the countries of Central America to join ALBA, and invited Argentina to use the virtual currency SUCRE for trade transactions. In the 11th Summit of ALBA in February 2012, Suriname, Saint Lucia and Haiti requested admission to the organization. Haiti was granted the special status of permanent member and the other two countries were named special members, while awaiting their full incorporation.

In July 2013, Chávez was honored posthumously by the nine member countries of the group and special guests Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and Haiti at the group's 12th Presidential Summit in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

In December 2014, Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis were accepted as full members during the 13th Summit of the Alliance, which occurred in Havana, Cuba.

Ecuador withdrew from ALBA in August 2018. Bolivia's interim government withdrew in November 2019 during the political crisis, but the newly elected government of Luis Arce rejoined following the 2020 Bolivian general election.

Amid the international isolation Russia is facing due to the invasion of Ukraine, ALBA invited Russia to participate at the 2023 ALBA Games.

Following the 2025 Bolivian general election which saw Rodrigo Paz Pereira elected as president, Bolivia was suspended by ALBA. Paz, previously condemned authoritarianism from countries members.

Virtual currency

In October 2009, ALBA leaders agreed at a summit in Bolivia to create a virtual currency, named the SUCRE. "The document is approved," said Bolivian President Evo Morales, the summit host. President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez announced "The sucre [is] an autonomous and sovereign monetary system that will be agreed upon today so that it can be implemented in 2010." As of 2015, the virtual currency is being used to compensate trade between Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and especially Ecuador and Venezuela.

Summits of heads of state and government

Membership{{anchor|Member states}}

Main article: Member states of ALBA

Full members

Observer members

Former members

Other ALBA initiatives

PetroCaribe

Based on the earlier San José Accords (1980) and Caracas Energy Accords (2000) between Venezuela and a number of Caribbean states, Petrocaribe was founded in 2005 to facilitate oil trade under a concessionary financial agreement. The initiative has provided the Caribbean member states with important hydrocarbon resources, which many do not possess on their territories, in exchange for services and goods. In the case of Cuba, a nation largely deprived of oil since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Petrocaribe has provided oil in exchange for medical doctors.

Other energy initiatives

As part of Cuba's efforts to spread its Energy Revolution campaign through ALBA, Cuban social workers traveled to 11 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America to help develop energy efficiency projects in those countries.

TeleSUR

Launched in 2005, TeleSUR is a media network that provides news and current affairs broadcasts throughout the ALBA bloc. The network has an internet based television channel and is a cooperative effort between the governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.

PETROSUR

PETROSUR is an inter-governmental energy alliance between Venezuelan PDVSA, Argentinean YPF, and Brazilian Petrobras nationalized oil companies. The goal of this initiative is to provide funding for social welfare programs within these nations.

ALBA at the UNFCCC

ALBA also speaks on behalf of its member states, if they find a common position in intergovernmental meetings of the UNFCCC.

Criticism

In July 2018, President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador distanced himself from ALBA, stating that the organization "has not worked for a while." In August 2018, Ecuador officially withdrew from ALBA.

Karen Longaric, appointed as foreign minister by Jeanine Áñez's interim government, announced the formal departure of the country from ALBA in November 2019 over "interference" in Bolivia's political crisis. Bolivia remained in ALBA after the Áñez government was defeated in the 2020 Bolivian general election.

Notes

References

References

1. ''[[El Universal (Caracas). El Universal]]'', 6 February 2012, [http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/120206/alba-summit-ends-with-entry-of-guest-countries ALBA summit ends with entry of guest countries]
2. (16 December 2022). "Declaración del ALBA-TCP: Justicia social y cooperación".
3. The total area of ALBA reaches 5,057,735 km² if the maritime areas is included .
4. "Declaration of the ALBA-TCP XIII Summit and commemoration of its tenth anniversary, December 14, 2014 – ALBA TCP".
5. (August 4, 2021). "Raisi vows to boost relations with Latin America".
6. Kaufman, Chuck. (October 30, 2015). "Critical Support: What Does It Mean for Solidarity with Latin America?".
7. Arana, Marie. (18 April 2013). "Opinion – Bolívar, Latin America's Go-To Hero". The New York Times.
8. "Cuba-Venezuela Agreement - December 14, 2004".
9. (June 2014). "The Cuba-Venezuela Alliance: The Beginning of the End? Line".
10. (20 March 2009). "Latin America Energy Policy and Regulations Handbook Volume 1 Strategic Information and Programs". Lulu.com.
11. ''[[Monthly Review]]'', 2 July 2008, [http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/hattingh070208.html ALBA: Creating a Regional Alternative to Neo-liberalism?]
12. "Honduran Congress Approves Withdrawal From ALBA".
13. (26 June 2009). "Two more Caribbean Nations join ALBA".
14. "Cuba Revolución: Chávez invita a Jamaica a sumarse al ALBA".
15. "El Nuevo Diario".
16. (ABN), Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias. (20 July 2007). "Chávez invitó a toda Centroamérica a unirse al ALBA".
17. "Chávez invita a Argentina a sumarse a la moneda virtual sucre".
18. "Twelfth ALBA Presidential Summit Takes Place in Ecuador".
19. (December 15, 2014). "Grenada Joins ALBA | NOW Grenada".
20. (2018-08-24). "Ecuador leaves Venezuelan-run regional alliance".
21. (15 November 2019). "Bolivia rompe relaciones con Venezuela y se retira de la Alianza Bolivariana ALBA {{!}} DW {{!}} 15.11.2019".
22. (2020-11-20). "Bolivia reanuda su participación en Unasur, Celac y Alba". [[France 24]].
23. (14 December 2020). "ALBA-TCP member countries celebrate 16 years of regional integration".
24. (23 February 2023). "Россию пригласили на самые антиамериканские старты мира. Что это такое?".
25. (2025-10-24). "ALBA suspends Bolivia's future government". [[Deutsche Welle]].
26. "Bolivia summit adopts new currency".
27. (13 January 2010). "Honduras se retira de Alba".
28. "''Inicia hoy XVI Cumbre del ALBA-TCP en La Habana''. In: ''albatcp.cubaminrex.cu'' 12/14/2018.".
29. (14 December 2019). "17th Summit of ALBA-TCP in Cuba focuses on regional situation".
30. (13 December 2020). "ALBA-TCP celebra su 16 aniversario vía videoconferencia con presidentes de países miembros".
31. (24 June 2021). "Venezuela acoge la XIX Cumbre del ALBA-TCP en el marco del Bicentenario de la Batalla de Carabobo".
32. (14 December 2021). "Inaugura Presidente cubano la XX Cumbre del ALBA-TCP (+Fotos)".
33. (14 December 2021). "ALBA-TCP Summit Declaration endorses independent politics".
34. (27 May 2022). "ALBA-TCP Summit in Havana without exclusions".
35. (27 May 2022). "ALBA-TCP Summit in Cuba rejects exclusion and discrimination".
36. (13 December 2022). "ALBA-TCP chief arrives in Cuba to attend 22nd Summit (+Photo)".
37. (15 December 2022). "ALBA-TCP define fortalecer liderazgo y actuar en bloque en la cumbre de la CELAC".
38. (2024-04-25). "Declaración final de la XXIII Cumbre del ALBA-TCP".
39. (14 December 2024). "ALBA-TCP holds 24th Summit in Caracas".
40. (15 December 2025). "ALBA-TCP advances on objectives despite threats and aggressions".
41. "Granada – ALBA TCP".
42. (11 January 2021). "Nicaragua celebra 14 años de solidaridad y respeto como parte del ALBA-TCP".
43. Hirst, Joel D.. (15 August 2019). "A Guide to ALBA".
44. (2019). "On PetroCaribe: Petropolitics, Energopower, and Post-Neoliberal Development in the Caribbean Energy Region". Political Geography.
45. Yaffee, Helen. (2020). "We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World". [[Yale University Press]].
46. "Lenin Moreno ordenó a la UNASUR desalojar edificio en Ecuador".
47. (15 November 2019). "La política internacional de Añez: anunció la salida de Bolivia del Alba, de la Unasur y rompió relaciones con Venezuela".