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<h1><font size=4><b>Venezuela and ALBA Promote “New Climate” in Summit of
the Americas </b></font></h1><font size=3>April 21st 2009, by Tamara
Pearson – Venezuelanalysis.com <br>
<a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4382" eudora="autourl">
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4382<br><br>
</a>Merida, April 21st 2009 (Venezuelanlaysis.com) -- Venezuela and the
countries of the Bolivarian Alternative to the Americas (ALBA) decided
not to sign the final document of the Summit of the Americas held on
April 17-19 in Trinidad and Tobago, saying it excluded Cuba and offered
no viable solution to the current economic crisis. <br><br>
The economic blockade of Cuba imposed by the United States was one of the
most anticipated themes of the summit, in which 34 heads of state across
the North and South American continent participated, with the notable
exception of Cuba, whose president was not invited. <br><br>
The dynamics of the summit were somewhat different compared to previous
summits, as ALBA countries worked together to assert the needs of Latin
America, whilst the new president of the United States, Barack Obama, was
also more respectful to the other countries. <br><br>
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said, "Of the three Summits of the
Americas that I have been to, the first was cold, behind a wall and
driven by imperialism and everyone else was quiet, except Venezuela.
Later, in the Mar del Plata [in Argentina, 2005] the summit ended up
fragmented in pieces, but we defeated FTAA [Free Trade Area of the
Americas], now this summit has opened the gates to a new era of
relationships between all the countries of this continent."
<br><br>
Chávez said that although this meeting hadn't been perfect, cordiality
had reigned and that "it has finished with success and with a new
climate." <br><br>
However, Chávez criticized the nature the summit, saying, "Someone
notes all these proposals and later comes the big question, who is in
charge of carrying them out? This is one of the failures of all these
summits over the last few years, the incapacity to put projects into
practice." <br><br>
ALBA countries who attended the Summit (Bolivia, Dominica, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela) had
previously decided at their conference, held just days before in
Venezuela, not to sign the final document of the Summit, the Declaration
of Trinidad and Tobago. <br><br>
The 22 page document, with 99 points, in general favors the private
sector and its development, promotes the production of bio-fuels and the
increasing of credit lines to business, amongst other things. <br><br>
In a joint statement about the document, ALBA countries said that it
"offers no answers to the ...global economic crisis" and
"unjustifiably excludes Cuba...without mentioning the general
consensus ... in the region in favor of condemning the blockade."
ALBA then proposed alternative themes for discussion, including problems
caused by capitalism, climate change and the food and energy crises and
the need for solidarity not competition. <br><br>
Chávez said the document is "totally de-contextualized, as if time
hasn't passed," and complained specifically about its
characterization of Cuba as non-democratic. <br><br>
"Where is there more democracy, in the United States or in Cuba? Who
has the democracy meter?... I have no doubt that there is more democracy
in Cuba than in the United States," said Chávez. <br><br>
Chávez justified ALBA's rejection of the declaration to the press saying,
"It is a sovereign decision and it forms part of the battle that we
are waging from ALBA, not only of resistance to imperialism and its
hegemony, but also with viable proposals and in full construction of a
better world." <br><br>
"The Summit of the Americas was born to try to impose the FTAA and
it failed," Chávez said, referring to the previous summit in
Argentina in 2005. In this case Chávez signed the final declaration but
expressed reservations around the point on free trade. Venezuela created
ALBA with Cuba in 2004 as a counter project to the FTAA. <br><br>
In the end, only the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick
Manning, signed the declaration, saying that whilst there wasn't
unanimity around the content of the document, there was a consensus that
he should be the only one to sign it. <br><br>
Another highlight of the conference was the resumption of US-Venezuela
relations and a resumed cordiality between the presidents of those
countries, Chávez and the newly elected Barack Obama. <br><br>
Chávez said "we affirmed a desire to initiate a new stage of
relations. The president of the Unites States said that he would keep his
word to not interfere in the internal issues of any country and we agree
that we want to work together." <br><br>
Various presidents also expressed hopes that the summit would mark new
relations between the United States and the rest of Latin America,
especially given the new president of the US. <br><br>
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said, "[The Summit] was a
fantastic meeting, we understand it as ... the start of a new type of
relationship. There was an environment of ...optimism and high
hopes." <br><br>
Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said he felt the main achievement of
the summit was "open, frank, and friendly dialogue." <br><br>
Speaking about the theme of energy security discussed at the summit,
Chávez said, "We're prepared to continue with initiatives like
Petrocaribe, the gas pipeline of the South, promoting renewable energy...
and to continue doing our part because we have the biggest reserve of
petroleum and one of the largest reserves of gas. We propose a true
energy revolution across the continent." <br><br>
In his intervention in the conference, Chávez expressed his concern about
the resurgence of economic forms of intervention. "Be careful with
the International Monetary Fund [IMF] because they have revived it...In
Latin America the IMF was the big destabilizer of the region," he
said. <br><br>
Chávez also alluded to the "media terrorism of the powerful elites
against the state," giving the example of the recent assassination
attempts towards Bolivian president Evo Morales, and said these efforts
reflect a form of fascism in the region. <br><br>
After the summit, Chávez classified Venezuela's participation as
"one of the biggest victories of our history" because of the
positions it defended of resistance, dignity, sovereignty and
independence. <br><br>
He said he was happy about what is happening in Latin America and the
Caribbean where "Bolivarian unity is being consolidated, the dream
of San Martin, Bolívar and Artigas; only united will we be free and be
able to talk on an equal footing and with dignity with the powers of the
world, this has started to become reality in these latest meetings and
summits." <br><br>
Chávez proposed the next summit be held in Havana, Cuba. <br><br>
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