00:00Thank you very much, Nicholas, I should say the undefeated and resilient president of
00:09the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela.
00:12I want to thank Daniel for his presentation today, the historic account of the formation
00:21of Alba.
00:23And I certainly want to begin with an enduring quote, and there are many, from the late revolutionist
00:31Fidel Castro.
00:34And it states that the equal right of all citizens to health, education, work, food,
00:40security, culture, science, and well-being, that is the same rights we proclaimed when
00:46we began our struggle, in addition to those which emerge from our dreams of justice and
00:51equality for all inhabitants of our world, is what I wish for all, end of quote.
00:59These are the enduring words of one of the founding fathers of the Bolivian Alliance,
01:05whose vision and determination for an integrated Latin American and Caribbean with resilient
01:11prosperity we pursue today.
01:15We gather here today for the celebration of 20 years of Alba TCP, a successful regional
01:23institution, a movement of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.
01:29I wish to thank our founding fathers, the militant visionaries who carried a flag for
01:35the continued liberation of our Americas, Commanders Fidel Castro and Hugo Rafael Chavez-Frias.
01:44As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Alba, let us not lose sight of the living dream
01:50of Fidel and Chavez for a strong integration movement and resilient prosperity for people.
01:59Sincere thanks and gratitude to President Maduro and the government of the Bolivian
02:03Republic for their warm hospitality and the excellent leadership of Alba, literally going
02:10beyond the call of duty to ensure the viability and continuity of Alba.
02:15I look forward to returning shortly to witness and to participate in the official inauguration
02:22ceremony for the President-elect, Nicolas Maduro, in January.
02:31Colleagues, the need for our continued engagement and solidarity are critical as we confront
02:42the various challenges, the climate injustices that we are faced with, and certainly other
02:48injustices including the inequitable global financial system and the geopolitical crises,
02:56the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza, among others.
03:01Just today we discussed a new emerging threat, and that is the threat of the technological
03:08oligarchy.
03:10As a political movement that promotes the values of shared global prosperity, equality,
03:16justice, peace, and unity, we must continue to stand collectively on these values and
03:22fight injustices and violations of these values in all form.
03:28We must utilize our collective advocacy and use all measures available, including international
03:35law, to fight injustice.
03:37We must stand against the aggression of the powerful against the powerless, while ensuring
03:44that our hemisphere remains a zone of peace.
03:48Our hemisphere is home to some of the smallest and most vulnerable small island developing
03:53states on the planet that will suffer disproportionately from any hemispheric instability.
04:00That is why we all continue to advocate strenuously for our hemisphere to remain a zone of peace.
04:08While there is no military intervention in our hemisphere at this time, and we hope that
04:12there will be none in the near future, we know that our challenges may soon be compounded
04:17by a looming trade war between the United States and China, in which the former pledges
04:23to increase tariffs on goods manufactured in China by as much as 100 percent.
04:30Should they follow through, that will be devastating.
04:34The OECS member states of ALBA not only rank among the most vulnerable in the world, they
04:41have small, vulnerable, import-dependent economies that are extremely susceptible to
04:47shocks from increased prices.
04:50All of these countries are heavily dependent on trade with the United States, which is
04:55the main source market for imports, including food and the exportation of tourism services.
05:02Tarification that increases prices for U.S. and Caribbean citizens could reduce the demand
05:08for a tourism product in the U.S., while simultaneously increase the price of goods
05:13and services, including food, undermining our economic growth and our prospects of achieving
05:20the Sustainable Development Goals.
05:23This potential threat underscores the need for greater diversification of Caribbean economies
05:29to include market diversification to mitigate these risks.
05:34And we need to see increased inter-regional trade within ALBA-TCP to ensure that we could
05:41mitigate against these geopolitical threats.
05:45And I certainly want to take up President Maduro on the need for us to strengthen tourism
05:52within our integration movement.
05:54And I certainly issue an invitation to all of you here at this forum, as well as those
06:00who are watching via various media, to visit the Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda,
06:06where you can enjoy one of the best vacations anywhere in the world.
06:10These are the type of collaborations that we need to ensure that we increase trade within
06:16our integration movement.
06:18Now, the recent AgroALBA initiative, in which the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela offered
06:2425,000 acres of land to OECS member states, has come at a very opportune time, as we seek
06:32to mitigate against the threats, the existing threats, including the tariffication that
06:40is likely to take place.
06:41Now, Antigua and Barbuda is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, with
06:47persistent droughts, which have been exacerbated by climate change.
06:51This offer will help us to address and resolve our ongoing food security challenges by providing
06:57us with arable land to cultivate food.
07:01The remaining area of challenge will be the issue of transportation, both air and sea,
07:07which I'm sure, with the collective efforts, we could resolve this issue with the establishment
07:14of an ALBA transportation mechanism, utilizing existing assets, including LIAT and Conviasa,
07:23and the acquisition of assets to establish reliable sea transportation.
07:28So it's important that we continue to ensure that we're able to move goods and people within
07:34the region, as we seek to strengthen our integration movement.
07:39Our successes over the past 20 years must also serve as motivational experiences that
07:45will further stimulate our further commitment to work assiduously, and certainly smarter,
07:51in conceptualization of new and innovative projects and programs.
07:56Following on the successful Petro-Caribbean financing initiative, this agro-algal initiative
08:02is a prime example of an innovative project with the potential to transform the agricultural
08:07landscape among ALBA members.
08:10So once again, we commend President Maduro and the government of Venezuela.
08:18Agro-ALBA is certainly a win-win initiative, based on the productive and sustainable development
08:23of our countries, within a shared geopolitical perspective, promoting the consolidation of
08:29economic independence, food sovereignty, and security.
08:34This will also ensure the eradication of hunger, and consequently, the reduction of
08:38poverty, thereby maximizing the social justice among our nations.
08:43Today, we celebrate many institutions within our integration movement, including the Bank
08:49of ALBA, the Regional Compensation Unitary System, the SUCR, the ALBA-TCP Development
08:55Cooperation Agency.
08:57These are certainly all important programs, designed over the years to help member countries
09:03fight against poverty, exclusion, and eradicating social inequalities.
09:08With a vision of promoting social, political, and economic cooperation among its member
09:14countries, primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean, ALBA has successfully carried
09:19out a number of programs.
09:21And we call the Mission Miracle, which provides free surgeries and educational programs that
09:27have had a significant impact on our communities.
09:30We also recall Petro-Caribbean, which I understand will be revived, will be bigger and better.
09:38This had allowed countries to purchase oil from Venezuela on favorable terms, and would
09:44have helped many member states, especially during the global crisis.
09:47In fact, it was a lifeline for member states during the global crisis.
09:52Colleagues, our founding fathers, comrades Fidel and Chavez, have left us a legacy of
09:59determination and creativity in our efforts to further strengthen the integration of Latin
10:04America and the Caribbean, creating the requisite integration mechanism to further strengthen
10:09our efforts for equal rights, justice, and peace.
10:14It is in difficult times like these that we need to strengthen our Hemispheric Integration
10:19Movement, ALBA-TCP, which promotes engagement and fraternal ties between Latin America and
10:26Caribbean nations.
10:28By so doing, it can further help us navigate the economic and social challenges that we'll
10:33face from time to time.
10:35Resilience, inclusion, and sustainability, including the achievement of the Sustainable
10:40Development Goals, are key to shaping our present response to the current political,
10:45economic, and social crises.
10:48Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial
10:54integrity, non-intervention, and certainly non-interference in internal affairs of states.
11:01These are among the values that underpin our relationship with our brother and sister countries
11:05in ALBA.
11:06We continue to stand with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, denouncing the unilateral coercive
11:13measures against them, and reiterate our numerous calls for an end to the senseless embargo
11:20against Cuba and its people.
11:24We stand with the government and people of Venezuela in support of its duly elected president,
11:31President-elect Nicolas Maduro.
11:35And we also take this opportunity to condemn the efforts of all who seek to interfere in
11:43the internal affairs of Venezuela, to recognize or perhaps forcefully to install any imposter
11:51who purports to be the president of Venezuela.
11:55Venezuela has one duly elected president, that is Nicolas Maduro, and Antigua and Barbuda
12:08recognize no other.
12:11So no Guaido 2.0 or any other.
12:15Comrades, the Bolivarian Alliance, of which we are all proud members, can only achieve
12:21optimum social and economic well-being of our people if we work closely together in
12:26mutual solidarity.
12:27Our ALBA-TCP movement has survived 20 years and continues to thrive.
12:34Let us continue to collaborate and cooperate with each other to strengthen our movement
12:38for the benefit of all.
12:40Long live ALBA, long live the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela and its duly elected president,
12:46our brother and friend, Nicolas Maduro.
12:49I thank you.
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