The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA-TCP) celebrates its 21st anniversary this Sunday, marking 21 years since its founding in Havana, a milestone that signifies the consolidation of a powerful front of cooperation and anti-imperialist resistance on the continent.
During the organization’s 25th Summit, the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, paid tribute to the legacy of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, while warning of the growing threats and interventionist maneuvers by the United States against regional self-determination.
The Venezuelan head of state commemorated the occasion via his Telegram channel, highlighting that ALBA-TCP was a “giant step” taken by Fidel and Chávez at the beginning of the 21st century, founded as an alliance of “Peace, cooperation, and hope.” Maduro emphasized that the alliance was born with the strategic objective of promoting a multipolar and pluri-centric world, free from hegemonies, where equality and respect prevail among sovereign nations.
In the context of the commemoration of more than two decades of the Alliance’s existence, the Bolivarian leader emphasized the character of “warriors for peace” embodied by its members, inspired by the legacies of Bolívar, Martí, Sandino, Fidel, and Chávez. Maduro was emphatic in declaring that, for the peoples of ALBA, “returning to colonies, slavery, or being subservient is not an option,” reaffirming the vision of continental unity and liberation.
For his part, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel joined the celebration, noting that ALBA is the continuation of the work of “two giants,” Fidel and Chávez, dedicated to the true integration of Our America. The 25th Summit, which is being held this Sunday, is dedicated to the centennial of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, whose contribution to regional unity, anti-imperialism, and the moral battle is considered immeasurable by the new generation of leaders.
Díaz-Canel recalled Cuba’s denunciation at the previous Alliance meeting of the “irrational onslaught” by the U.S. administration. The president reiterated his condemnation of the financing of terrorist plots and the “mendacious” accusations against leaders like President Maduro, characterizing these actions as typical imperialist maneuvers to justify aggression and undermine the spirit of resistance of peoples who cannot be subdued.
The essence of ALBA—solidarity and unity—takes on a “salvational significance” at this historical moment, according to Díaz-Canel, when threats loom over all nations seeking to determine their own destiny. The Cuban head of state warned that countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba have become the “preferred target” of unilateral coercive measures and Washington’s economic blockade.
As a result of the working session, a new Declaration is expected, reiterating the founding principles of the alternative that emerged as a response from the people to the rise of the neoliberal model. The Alliance will reaffirm its role as the vanguard of free peoples, declaring that peace can only be born from social justice and self-determination, and will ratify its irrevocable commitment to protect Latin America and the Caribbean as an unchanging Zone of Peace against the threats of imperialism, blockades and wars.
IMAGE CREDIT: Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Miguel Díaz-Canel follow in the footsteps of Commanders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez by consolidating the alliance.
internet@granma.cu / Photo: Taken from Telesur
[ SOURCE: GRANMA and teleSUR ]
