By Pablo Meriguet on February 6, 2025
ALBA-TCP leaders at the Heads of State summit in December 2024. Photo: ALBA-TCP
During the XII Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) on Monday, February 3, member countries met virtually to discuss several issues that have arisen from recent geopolitical developments. The meeting proposed a stronger defense of deported migrants, their reintegration to their countries of origin, and the expansion of joint strategies to face the onslaught from foreign powers.
Indeed, the beginning of Donald Trump’s mandate, together with his immigration policy of massive deportations, the new tariff measures he announced on his neighbors, and the quest to keep Cuba diplomatically and economically ostracized, among others, brought ALBA member countries together to discuss the necessary precautions to face this new US administration.
In this context, the regional group created by Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez in 2004 will try to carry out certain tactics and strategies for the onslaught that is US foreign policy.
A foreign policy which at the moment seems to want to strengthen its hegemony over the entire American continent while also carrying out a zero-tolerance immigration policy towards the millions of Latino workers who sustain the US economy.
Initial agreements reached after the summit
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Heads of State agreed to defend the human rights of migrants and to coordinate actions to demand respect for their dignity in the face of mass deportations. In this regard, it was agreed that recently arrived migrants should be fully integrated into their countries of birth through the implementation of public policies that promote social reintegration.
This effort will be funded by a joint investment of USD 10 million sponsored by the ALBA-TCP Bank.
In addition, it was reported that the alliance would safeguard the peace and sovereignty of member countries against external threats; to this end, a proposal was made for the reactivation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
Declarations from the Heads of State
Maduro’s call for migrant rights and regional security
In this regard, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro insisted on “Coordination to demand respect for the migrants of our peoples, we must guarantee their human rights, guarantee their dignified return to our countries.”
In addition, Maduro proposed the activation of an ALBA-TCP air and sea fleet to safeguard the countries and the food supply of the entire region.
Díaz-Canel’s push for unity against US policies
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called on ALBA members to strengthen unity and respond as a single bloc to the challenges posed by the future under the Trump administration:
“The issue is not only Cuba, the whole region is under threat and only with integration can we fight against that because the United States intends to define the options to subjugate us or be objects of aggression.” This is fundamental for Havana, which, a few hours after Trump took office, was once again included on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism; a list that Biden had removed them from, only a few days before the end of his term.
Canel also urged member countries to strengthen economic ties, as only in this way could they face eventual sanctions by the US economic power, respond to violent and indiscriminate deportations, and categorically reject Trump’s intention to send more than 30,000 migrants to the Guantanamo military base (located in Cuban territory).
Ortega’s perspective on historical migration and resistance
The President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, stressed the importance of the development of projects among the ALBA countries to resist the measures that the United States takes and may take against Latin American countries.
He also stressed that all countries in the Americas share a similar history of the violent arrival of settlers, including the United States: “Let the rulers of the United States not forget that these lands existed, and they left as migrants and arrived to a territory that was not theirs; they simply occupied it by force, killing their owners, the Indigenous peoples.”
Gonsalves on strengthening economies for regional stability
The Head of State of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, stressed that it is not enough to take reactive measures in the face of Washington’s moves, but that the internal economies of the countries must also be strengthened to ensure a full and prosperous life for their inhabitants.
“We must see what actions we can take together to improve the lives of our peoples and improve our global production… We must continue to strengthen integration and cooperation. We must work as best we can with the multilateral system, advocating peace rather than war. We must ensure that all the regional institutions to which we belong, including ALBA, have practical applications of aspects that are achievable and build a consensus as to how to work.”
Saint Lucia’s commitment to ALBA-TCP unity
Along the same lines, Philip Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, stated that the ALBA-TCP countries “must remain united for the defense of our peoples. Saint Lucia will always be part of this effort to improve the quality of life of our people.”
Arce’s warning on US influence and how to counter it
Bolivian President Luis Arce said in his speech that the United States will do everything possible to prevent Latin American countries from taking a different course than the one desired by Washington, so the unity of countries in blocks such as ALBA-TCP is essential to realize a different future:
“The current historical juncture in our region marks the complexification of several challenges and problems that need answers, both comprehensive and collective. Our America is in the sights of a superpower that intends to prevent, through force, the transit towards another world order.”
Regarding mass deportations, Arce said the main challenge is, “beyond international agreements…, to avoid any attempt to criminalize migration. We must guarantee dignified treatment to each person in mobility, protecting their human rights and those of their families.”
Skerrit’s vision for a culture of regional solidarity
For his part, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit argued that regional integration should not be focused solely on economic and investment strategies but also on creating a culture of unity.
“We must have more dedication and commitment, an extraordinary dedication aligned with solidarity and focus that will help us overcome the challenges.”
While Trump’s first two weeks in office have been packed with action, from executive orders, to high level state visits, he is not the only one making moves. Within that same time frame, the rest of the American continent has also made huge strides towards regional cooperation, the defense of human rights, and resistance to the US’s ambitions in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Source: Peoples Dispatch