Venezuela will host the 24th Summit of Heads of States and Government of ALBA-TCP

teleSUR English

From Venezuela our correspondent Belen de los Santos, updates us on the moments leading up to the ALBA Summit to be held today. teleSUR

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00:00Hello, you're watching Terrestrial English.

00:05We go live to Caracas, Venezuela with our correspondent Belén de los Santos for all

00:09the latest information as we are a few hours away from the 24th Summit of ALBA-TCP Heads

00:15of States and Government.

00:16Hello, Belén.

00:17What can you tell us?

00:18Hello, Luis.

00:19Exactly.

00:20We're here in Caracas and a hug that set the course of history.

00:30That is the motto that is inaugurating this 24th ALBA Summit that is happening here today,

00:36December 14th in Caracas, Venezuela.

00:40This is also not just one more ALBA Summit, but the 20th anniversary of the mechanism.

00:47That is why the slogan was saying, a hug that set the course of our history.

00:53It is branded here in the walls while we wait and we will receive different leaders from

01:00social movements, political representatives, and of course, the presidents and the heads

01:05of state and governments of the member countries of ALBA will be here in a few hours.

01:13The slogan is making reference to that iconic hug between Hugo Chavez Frías and Fidel Castro

01:20that 20 years ago marked the inauguration and the creation of this ALBA mechanism.

01:29What is the importance of this mechanism?

01:32A lot of the most symbolic and the key areas and points that mark this ALBA integration

01:39and cooperation mechanism are being relived today because this 24th Summit that is also

01:46the 20th anniversary is being branded, it's being presented, it's being lived like a relaunch,

01:53if you will.

01:54The idea is to bring the initial principles of cooperation, of solidarity that have marked

02:03this international mechanism and really relaunch them for the years to come.

02:09We are talking about a cooperation mechanism that we've been saying this during this week

02:15here that is not only aiming at an international integration between the states, among the

02:24member states, but also among the populations and the social movements from the member countries

02:33and also from countries around the world.

02:38And the idea from the ALBA that was thought out by its founding fathers, Fidel Castro

02:44and Hugo Chavez, is that a mechanism can be built unlike no other and in what way do we

02:50mean that?

02:52Unlike no other in the sense that it intends to foster cooperation, it intends to foster

02:59the reshaping and the development of the different countries that are aligned, but keeping always

03:06as a main principle the solidarity among the states, also the cooperation among the states,

03:12and respecting, of course, the sovereignty of each member state.

03:18So let's recall that the ALBA was shaped at a time where, for example, the free trade

03:25area for our Americas was the proposal of an integration mechanism that was focused

03:31on free trade, was the mechanism proposed by the United States for the Americas.

03:37And this was a mechanism, of course, focused on free trade and that would have a very significant

03:45impact, especially on the most dependent economies.

03:49So let's recall that the no to this mechanism was very significant at the start of the early

03:582000s.

03:59It was one of the key moments in which Latin American leaders came together to reject a

04:06mechanism that was to impose, for example, free trade among the partners and was going

04:12to damage regional and national economies.

04:16And as opposed to that sort of mechanism, almost as a way to present that another way

04:23of cooperation among states was possible, a way of cooperation that kept in mind, for

04:29example, regional challenges and mechanisms of solidarity to face those challenges and

04:36not only thinking about the economy and the markets as the only way to understand the

04:45reasons and means of cooperation.

04:47That was what was leading this initiative made by Chavez and Fidel and then joined by

04:54the member countries that are meeting here today, 20 years afterwards, and 20 years that

05:01have been full of different initiatives of cooperation that have shown that this is possible.

05:06Petro Caribe, for example, is one of them.

05:10The different cooperation and solidarity efforts being related to health initiatives, education

05:19promoted by Cuba, by Venezuela, and with the idea of exporting solidarity efforts in those

05:27areas to other affected countries.

05:30For example, in the meetings that we've been covering throughout this week, Haiti has been

05:35a very relevant topic.

05:37In Haiti, that is not even a member country of the state, but the ALBA countries understand

05:43that what is happening in Haiti is something that affects the whole region and it's the

05:47responsibility of the peoples of the whole region.

05:51That is the spirit of ALBA and that is what is being relaunched today on its 20th anniversary.

05:58So let's recall that we are on December 14th in Caracas.

06:03Just hours from now, the presidents and heads of state from member countries of ALBA will

06:07be coming here to this venue that is all set up to celebrate that iconic date 20 years

06:15ago, and not only celebrate, but also set up the proposals for the years to come.

06:20This is so far, the day is just beginning, but we will come back to you with all the

06:25information as we talk to the different leaders, representatives, there are a lot of social

06:30organizations from across the continent that are coming here to really take part of this

06:37initiative in a very difficult moment geopolitically, but Latin America, the Caribbean and the world

06:43is standing together and standing strong.

06:46I go back to you Luis, we'll continue to bring information throughout the day.

06:51Thank you Belen for all the latest and of course we'll stay tuned with you and our colleagues

06:55over there in Caracas to see and know everything that is happening in this paramount summit

07:00that is being held today of ALBA-DCB and also in the context of the 20th anniversary

07:04of this important alliance.

07:06For now, stay tuned with Treasurer English, we'll have more updates in upcoming newsbriefs.

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