The Eighth ALBA-TCP Summit was inaugurated Sunday, December 13, in Havana with the participation of nine member states. Cuban President Raul Castro delivered the opening address calling for the materialization of Bolivar’s and Marti’s vision of a united America.
The summit commemorates the fifth anniversary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas and the fifteenth anniversary of the first official visit of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
Attending the meeting, the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Nicaraguan Daniel Ortega, Bolivian Evo Morales, Saint Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, Honduran Foreign Affairs Minister Patricia Rodas, Ecuadorian Foreign Affairs Minister Fander Falconí, Dominican Commonwealth Ambassador to Venezuela and ALBA National Coordinator Philbert Aaron, and Antigua and Barbuda Ambassador to Cuba Bruce Goodwin.
During his speech, Raul Castro extended Fidel’s regards to the audience stating that he was attentively following the summit. Afterwards, the Cuban president expressed his heartfelt congratulations to the Bolivian people for their convincing victory last Sunday December 6, when they re-elected Evo Morales as president.He also made reference to the presence of the Honduran foreign minister, Rodas who attends the meeting on behalf of the legitimate Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who unfortunately could not attend the meeting.
"History will record the position assumed by ALBA-TCP member states and the majority of the Latin American and Caribbean nations against the military coup in Honduras" said Raul.He also added that history will register the attitude of those who, after yielding to US demands, backed the coup d’état.
While commenting on the world crisis, and on the confrontation between the historical powers which is taking place in Latin America at present—the elitist and exploiter model against the progressive forces—Raul underscored that ALBA "cannot ignore this reality", which includes the placing of military bases in the region and the reactivation of the US Fourth Fleet, evidence of the hegemonic offensive of the American government. He added that these strategies of the US military doctrine show that Washington will have no limits to get the control of a continent they have always believed they possessed. "The only limit will be our capacity to resist," he added.
The Summit’s agenda provides the possibility of covering the plenty of successful results of the Alliance in social areas such as health care and education. Raul underscored the declaration of Territory Free of Illiteracy in Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, which constitutes just a step towards eradicating this problem in the rest of the member states.
He also mentioned the results of Operation Milagros, the training of doctors at the Latin American Medical School (ELAM) in Havana City, as well as the development of genetic and psychosocial studies in Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia, which provides these governments with tools to elaborate policies to promote the social integration of their disabled people.
Concerning the economic sector, the Cuban president made reference to one of the most important agreements of the Alliance, the creation of a Unique System of Regional Compensation of Payment (SUCRE) which will be issued in 2010, and was preceded by the inauguration of ALBA Bank, whose funds are destined to financing the projects of economic and social development.
"This summit will be an effective means for discussing on ways to improve the Alliance and its impact on the region. We are obliged to set new and daring goals, taking as starting point the circumstances, the obstacles and dangers of the current international situation, namely the current world economic crisis and climate change, which need us to take action," said Raul
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