What Is ALBA-TCP?

You've probably heard of ALBA-TCP. But what is it? Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples in Our-America—People's Trade Treaty, was born in 2004 with a great purpose, to promote integration in economic cooperation among its members.

Founded by Venezuela and Cuba, this Vanguard Bloc seeks to offer an alternative to traditional trade agreements, ALBA-TCP is based on solidarity and social justice, in contrast to neoliberalism and inequality.

ALBA-TCP argues that "free trade” is not capable of generating the required social changes.

Instead of focusing solely on free trade, ALBA-TCP encourages collaboration between key areas such as health, education and economic development. How does ALBA do it? Through joint projects and exchange of resources and knowledge that benefit all member countries.

That is why ALBA-TCP works to improve people's lives and strengthen the autonomy of the countries of the region.

Currently, the countries that make it up, in addition to Venezuela and Cuba, are Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Saint Lucia. Honduras, which joined in 2008 but withdrew in 2009 after the NATO coup d'état suffered by President Manuel Zelaya, is participating today, December 14, 2024, alongside invited member Palestine at the 24th ALBA-TCP Heads of State Summit in Caracas, Venezuela.

ALBA-TCP also has a bank called Banco del ALBA, which was created four years after its foundation in 2008.

The cardinal principle that guides this alliance, according to the documents, are the thoughts of Bolívar, Martí, Sucre, Sandino; among other revolutionary leaders who fought to create a great homeland in Latin America 🌎 under socialist integration.🛠️

Let's get to know the ALBA-TCP Member Countries

On December 14, 2004, Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, then Commander Presidents of Venezuela and Cuba respectively, founded in Havana, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - Peoples' Trade Treaty.

Two years later, the governments of Bolivia in Nicaragua joined the integration mechanism. In 2008 Dominica entered, followed by Antigua and Barbuda; also in 2009 Saint Vincent the Grenadines entered. Then Saint Kitts and Nevis was incorporated in 2014, Grenada was also integrated in 2014 and finally the government of Saint Lucia was incorporated.

Since its formation, ALBA-TCP has had special guests in its history, among which Palestine, Syria, Haiti and Honduras stand out.

On a day like today, it is appropriate to recall a phrase by Commander Hugo Chávez: "ALBA is the Union of our Peoples in the Brotherhood that unites us." This sentence highlights the importance of Solidarity and Unity among the ALBA-TCP Member Countries.

With the aim of building a new multipolar world, the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander and President Fidel Castro Ruz highlighted the importance of ALBA in its creation. "The ALBA-TCP is the Hope of the Peoples of the South.”

Like President Chávez, President Fidel Castro saw ALBA as a source of hope for developing countries seeking to free themselves from dependence and exploitation!

Anti-imperialist Strategic Agenda 2030

The ALBA TCP as an integration mechanism presents various proposals to strengthen objectives in defense of the sovereignty of countries in the region based on an Anti-Imperialist Strategic Agenda 2030.

The ALBA-TCP Economic Horizon aspires for an extraordinary and complementary promotion of commercial exchange, the expansion of the ALBA Bank, the reboot of Petro Caribe and the promotion of tourism alliances between the member countries of the bloc.

In the social field, the alliance plans to achieve a relevant level of food security and sovereignty, the strengthening and expansion of regional health services, universal educational coverage among the member countries and to give continuity to the sports games of the Bloc.

In the political sphere, ALBA-TCP seeks to be an international reference of moral authority and strengthen its role as a mechanism for international consultation and political coordination, expand its objectives to lead a great global social alternative, as well as create the ALBA-TCP parliamentary network, as well as government and local authorities. The agenda also establishes a network for the protection of social and human rights.

In the cultural area, the organization plans to design a campaign to promote common values and symbols of identity of the region, strengthen a new geopolitics of knowledge and the articulation of thought centers of the Global South and promote training programs on Latin American unity and the ALBA-TCP.

ALBA's Communication Horizon is to consolidate a communication network that allows dissemination of the truth of our country, position a tool to dismantle fake news matrices and promote media strategies for a comprehensive communication campaign that promotes democratization and the communicational sovereignty of ALBA TCP.

Twenty years after its creation, as the 24th ALBA-TCP Head of State Summit advances in Caracas (upcoming article on the final resolution and key highlights), it is appropriate to remember the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, who stressed the importance of its creation: “ALBA is an example that another world is possible.”

This sentence summarizes the utopian vision of ALBA that sought to demonstrate that there are alternatives to neoliberal capitalism and globalization. I say to you now, Commander Fidel Castro Ruz 🌎🇨🇺 that Cuba and Bolívia are now BRICS️️ in 2025, another world Is possible, and now we're making it reality, just as you and the rest of Sierra Maestra rebels made the Cuban Revolution reality!

Hasta la Victoria Siempre!

Viviremos y Venceremos!

To Victory Always!

We will Live and We will Win!