This December marks the 20th anniversary of the ALBA-TCP, a critical alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean. To begin: What are its origins?

Origin of ALBA-TCP and Its Historical Causes

ALBA-TCP stands for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America. The full name includes “TCP,” which means People's Trade Treaty. This wording underscores that this multilateral organization in Latin America and the Caribbean is based on the interests of the people, not the oligarchy or corporate dictatorship.

This December marks the 20th anniversary of ALBA-TCP. Why was it created in 2004? It was established as a response to an attempt by the United States to create the so-called “Free Trade Area of the Americas,” the infamous ALCA. ALCA, conceived by the United States in 1994 during the neoliberal era, aimed to establish an economic zone dominated by the U.S., particularly its large corporations.

Whenever the United States claims to promote "free trade," it usually seeks to eliminate obstacles to its complete domination of a region through corporate monopolies.

How could small countries in Latin America like Nicaragua, Bolivia, or Honduras compete with massive U.S. corporations and corrupt Western-dominated banks, technology firms, and other giant entities?

When the United States promotes "free trade," it only means freedom for corporate monopolies and their insatiable greed. Thus, Commanders Hugo Chávez in Bolivarian Venezuela and Fidel Castro in Martí's Cuba envisioned an alternative: the Bolivarian Alliance (ALBA-TCP), which emphasizes a People's Trade Agreement instead of one serving corporate interests.

Challenges ALBA-TCP Has Faced and Overcome Recently

ALBA-TCP encompasses several Latin American and Caribbean countries. Cuba and Venezuela co-founded it, with Nicaragua joining after the Sandinista Front regained power in 2007. Bolivia participates under the government of the MAS party, and Caribbean countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and Honduras are also members.

The United States has attempted to dismantle ALBA-TCP since its inception. In 2009, the U.S. supported a coup against leftist President Manuel Zelaya in Honduras, installing a right-wing military regime that promptly exited ALBA-TCP. Similarly, Ecuador, under President Rafael Correa, was a member. However, after Correa’s term ended, his successor, Lenin Moreno, betrayed the cause and left ALBA-TCP. Since then, Ecuador has had right-wing governments aligned with oligarchic interests, consistently undermining ALBA-TCP.

The Anglo-American Empire fears ALBA-TCP because it demonstrates both political and economic unity. Small countries can only resist the overwhelming economic power of the U.S. and its corporate monopolies through regional solidarity. By integrating “Nuestra América,” Latin America and the Caribbean can trade and invest within the region. United, this region's population exceeds that of the United States, with immense economic potential and natural resources. Yet, imperialism—first European colonialism and now U.S. imperialism—has always sought to divide these regions to maintain dominance.

ALBA-TCP unites people through trade and development, sharing resources. After the 2019 coup d'état in Bolivia—engineered by NATO, the OAS (Organization of American States), and figures like Elon Musk—the coup government also withdrew from ALBA-TCP, illustrating imperialism's consistent attacks on multilateralism.

While ALBA-TCP focuses on economic integration, the region also benefits from CELAC (Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y del Caribe), which serves as an alternative to the OAS. CELAC, like ALBA-TCP, was created with the pivotal contributions of Chávez and Castro, countering U.S. domination through the OAS. Located in Washington and funded by the U.S., the OAS has long been a tool for staging coups across the region.

Conclusion

The United States has historically excluded Cuba from such regional initiatives, punishing the nation for carrying out Latin America's first socialist revolution. ALBA-TCP arose as a direct response, creating an inclusive alternative that genuinely serves the interests of the people of “Nuestra América.”

This 20th anniversary is a momentous occasion. Here's to 20 more years—and even 200—of growth and success for ALBA-TCP, which represents the future of Latin America and the Caribbean!

¡HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE! ¡VENCEREMOS! ¡INDEPENDENCIA Y PATRIA SOCIALISTA!¡VIVIREMOS Y VENCEREMOS!