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href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/ALBA-Countries-Meet-In-Support-Of-Venezuela-Sovereignty-20180305-0013.html">https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/ALBA-Countries-Meet-In-Support-Of-Venezuela-Sovereignty-20180305-0013.html</a></font>
<h1 id="reader-title">ALBA Leaders Praise Chavez Legacy, Slam US
Attacks on Venezuela<br>
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<div id="reader-estimated-time"> 5 March 2018 </div>
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<p>The summit of presidents of the Bolivarian Alliance for
the Peoples of Our America, or ALBA, kicked off in
Caracas Monday moments after Venezuelan President Maduro
addressed Venezuelans alongside leaders of Latin
American and Caribbean member states who are attending
the meeting.</p>
<p>Leaders arrived in the capital Caracas Monday morning
and criticized the United States-led attacks against
Venezuela's sovereignty and honored late President Hugo
Chavez on the 5th anniversary of his death. Puerto
Rico’s revolutionary Oscar López Rivera also attended
the ALBA summit as he completes his tour in Venezuela.</p>
<p>"Five years ago I had to give the hardest news of my
life. Five years later we remember Chavez, no longer
with tears, but with a smile and commitment to the
future of the Fatherland," Maduro said marking the 5th
anniversary of the death of late President Chavez before
kicking off the ALBA summit. "Today with more security
and strength than ever we say that the Venezuelan people
are more Chavista than ever. Chávez lives!"</p>
<p>"On Sunday, May 20th we will have elections. We are
deciding between peace and violence; democracy or coups;
between the independence or the submission of the
Fatherland," the president added referring to the
upcoming presidential election in hwich he is a
candidate.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>RELATED:<br>
<a
href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Oscar-Lopez-Rivera-Pays-Homage-to-Late-Hugo-Chavez-20180303-0014.html">Venezuela:
Oscar Lopez Rivera Pays Homage to Late Hugo Chavez</a></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>During his opening address to ALBA, Maduro gave a warm
welcome to Puerto Rican independence hero Oscar Lopez
Rivera at the ALBA summit. He went on to call for more
ALBA meetings in order to address "vital issues for the
Latin American and Caribbean region."</p>
<p>"ALBA has the need to meet in a periodic way, work
meetings that allow us to advance in the political,
economic challenges of our people," he added at the
group's 15th meeting taking place at Miraflores
Presidential Palace.</p>
<p>The Venezuelan leader further denounced attacks against
his country by regional right/wing governments. "We have
been discussing the theme of the Summit of the Americas.
We discussed the illegal attempt of the Government of
Peru to discriminate against Venezuela and prohibit the
participation of our country." Maduro stressed that
"Venezuela will not be shut up by anyone."</p>
<p>He then went on to discuss his country’s innovative
cyber currency Petro and called for including it in
ALBA’s economic agenda.</p>
<p>Raúl Castro then addressed the leaders at the opening
session of ALBA saying that threats against Venezuela
also threaten peace throughout the region.</p>
<p>"We proclaim the unwavering support for the Bolivarian
Revolution and the civic-military union of its people
commanded by comrade Nicolas Maduro," Raúl told his
counterparts at the summit. "The United States since
1999 when Comandante Chavez has become president, they
have resorted to methods of unconventional warfare in
order to subdue this country, which owns enormous
natural wealth."</p>
<p>He added that only the people of Venezuela can solve
any problems faced by their nation and further denounced
Peru for attempting to prevent Maduro from attending the
Summit of the Americas. </p>
<p>Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega echoed a similar
sentiment as he hailed the legacy of Chavez recognizing
that ALBA and other regional independent organizations
would have never been possible without the late leader’s
efforts. "The U.S. tries again to provoke the
disintegration of what we have managed to build...This
is a disrespectful attitude to the people of Venezuela
and Latin America."</p>
<p>“We see clearly the attempt to delegitimize the
revolutionary process of Venezuela that has been
advancing in spite of challenges and difficulties. In
the face of violence, the people have always called for
peace,” Ortega stressed. </p>
<p><strong>"The arrival of heads of states of Nicaragua,
Dominica, Bolivia and Cuba to Miraflores Presidential
Palace in Caracas."</strong></p>
<p>Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also
recognized the legacy of Chavez before slamming
intervention attempts into the internal affairs of
Venezuela. “Peru's attitude is a flagrant violation of
international law. They are denying the people of
Venezuela their right to participate. We condemn this
decision.”</p>
<p>Bolivian President Evo Morales then took the stage
calling on leaders to “strengthen our unity as countries
that seek equality for humanity.” He then slammed the
complicity of some regional governments in the attacks
on Venezuela. “I cannot believe that some Latin American
presidents are instruments of the American Empire.”</p>
<p>President Maduro later honored Puerto Rico’s
revolutionary Oscar López Rivera by giving him a replica
of Simon Bolivar’s Sword.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Ecuadorean Minister of Defense Patricio
Zambrano said the the Summit of the Americas should be a
space for meeting and dialogue between countries, "and
not an organism of exclusion." Zambrano's comments were
echoed by the head of the delegation of Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines who slammed what Peru is doing as “an
attack on the Latin American unity that we can not
allow.”</p>
<p>The Saint Vincent delegate further called on President
maduro to “continue with the legacy of Chavez, you have
suffered unthinkable pressures, you have joined the
people of Venezuela.”</p>
<p>The meeting will also feature events in memory of
Bolivarian Revolution leader and former Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez, who passed away on March 5, 2013.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, an event tilted World Day in Solidarity with
Venezuela will also take place Monday in the Teresa
Carreño Theater in Caracas, where more than 800 people
from social movements and organizations will
debate communication, social rights issues and national
sovereignty.</p>
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