Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America

7th ALBA Summit

ALBA Alternative Is Developing
with Courage and Resolve

An alternative is possible! It can be done!

The 7th Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA) Summit, from 16-17 October, concluded with a call to respect the rights of "mother earth," steps to apply the common currency "Sucre," a meeting with social movement representatives, a proposal for a climate justice tribunal, and support for the legitimate president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya.

Participating in the conference were Presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Prime Ministers Roosevelt Skerit of Dominica, Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda, Ralph Gonsalvez of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Vice President of the Cuban Council of Ministers, José Ramón Machado Ventura.

Member states of ALBA from South America include Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, from Central America Nicaragua and Honduras, and from the Caribbean Cuba, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Together they comprise a total population of over 73 million people.

ALBA has developed in opposition to the hegemony of the U.S. Empire, especially its imposition of free trade agreements and the brutal embargo and blockade of Cuba. ALBA reflects the desire of peoples everywhere to be sovereign and free from interference and domination by the big powers. The success of ALBA in resisting the U.S. Empire and fashioning its own institutions and finding a way forward is a concrete contribution to humanity and an inspiration to all those struggling for a pro-social alternative. ALBA has shown in practice that if those first brave steps are taken an alternative to the imperialist system of states is possible.

The hostile reaction to ALBA led by the U.S. Empire and its lackeys among certain local wealthy elite is predictable and reminds the people that a contradiction is not resolved without a consistent determined struggle. U.S. imperialism has instigated a coup d'état in Honduras, a member state of ALBA, to thwart the development of the alternative and send a warning to all other countries of the Americas not to attempt to break free from U.S. hegemony and take the path of democratic renewal.

In coordination with the coup d'état in Honduras, the U.S. Empire is strengthening its military grip on the people of Columbia. It has announced an expansion of U.S. troops and sophisticated weapons of mass destruction in that beleaguered country with the addition of seven U.S. military bases. U.S. military occupation of Columbia is in part to protect U.S. economic plunder of Columbia through a free trade agreement signed in 2005. The Uribe annexed regime in Columbia is also being groomed as a U.S. military beachhead to threaten and control the rest of South America. These dangerous developments make it even more urgent that Canadians thwart the preparations of the Conservative Party in power in Ottawa to push through a free trade agreement with Columbia. Such an event would put Canada and Canada's military, annexed to the U.S. military, on a collision course with the peoples of South America who are striving to control their own affairs through such organizations as ALBA.

The Obama administration is also following war criminal Bush in activating the U.S. Navy's Fourth Fleet in the waters of the Caribbean and Central and South America. The aggressive U.S. military actions and Honduras coup d'état are meant to terrorize the peoples of the Americas and stop them from joining and developing an alternative to oppression and imperialist exploitation, to intimidate them and convince them to abandon any thoughts of independence and freedom and give up their efforts to build the new. The 7th ALBA Summit condemned this intimidation and war manoeuvres and declared its firm intention to carry on in spite of the threats of the Empire. The 7th ALBA Summit denounced the Honduras coup d'état and demanded the immediate restoration of President Zelaya as the legitimate President.

The member countries of ALBA, including the legitimate government of Honduras are determined to strengthen their Alliance and prepare their peoples for conscious and active political, economic and military defence of their sovereignty and rights. They have proved in practice that they will not be intimidated by the anti-social actions and terrorism of U.S. imperialism but are resolved to build a pro-social alternative.

On the economic front, ALBA members are strengthening their social solidarity through the Trade Treaty of the Peoples (TCP). They have pledged to practice trade amongst themselves based on mutual benefit and cooperation to build and develop the economies of each other. A great step in this direction is to free themselves from the tyranny of the U.S. dollar by establishing a virtual common currency amongst themselves to be used to resolve trade transactions. This means concretely that each country will require fewer U.S. dollars in reserve, a feature that will become a beacon for other countries wishing to extricate themselves from U.S. dollar hegemony. By objectively looking at trade as an institution of social solidarity and trust and for mutual benefit with the aim of developing the economies and living standards of all, the members of ALBA are able to pool their strong points and pass on those strengths to all members without exploiting the weaknesses of others but rather building each other up collectively. This is in sharp contrast to the unequal terms of trade and economic aggression within the imperialist system of states where weaker countries are at the mercy of the big powers especially the United States.

EhDin sends it warmest congratulations to the peoples of Central and Southern America on the 7th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the People's of Our America and the Trade Treaty of the Peoples.

It proves that an alternative is possible! It can be done!

The success of ALBA proves that an alternative to imperialism can be built!