By Alejandra Garcia on November 5, 2025
Chavez’s cry, “FTAA go to Hell”
Twenty years ago today, the city of Mar del Plata became the emblematic stage for Latin America’s reaffirmation of sovereignty against U.S. interference during the historic People’s Summit. It was here that the fate of the U.S.-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) was sealed—a project designed to favor transnational corporations at the expense of the continent’s national industries.
Two decades after the 2005 Summit of the Americas—where the region’s progressive governments stood together to reject Washington’s FTAA proposal—political, labor, and social leaders once again gathered in this coastal city to commemorate that defining moment and reflect on the challenges of today.
The central closing ceremony of the meeting, titled “20 Years of No to the FTAA,” was led at noon on Wednesday by Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof at the Teatro Auditorium in Mar del Plata. The event, organized by social, labor, and political organizations from across the region, paid tribute to the decisive role of popular movements and Latin American governments that, in 2005, successfully blocked the U.S. free-trade initiative.
Opening remarks were delivered by Buenos Aires Minister of Government Carlos Bianco, followed by panels and discussions featuring prominent figures in regional integration, including Jorge Taiana, Argentina’s former foreign minister and one of the key organizers of the 2005 Summit of the Americas, which was attended by then–U.S. President George W. Bush.
In this context, from Venezuela, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yván Gil recalled the words that became symbolic of Latin American resistance: “We were encouraged to look to the North, ignoring the wealth and potential of our brothers in the South. It was Commander Hugo Chávez who, with his historic cry of ‘ALCA, ALCA… al carajo’ (FTAA, go to hell), put an end to this new form of interference. From that moment on, a new era of regional integration began in our Patria Grande, strengthening the mechanisms of economic and political autonomy of our peoples.”
For his part, Raul Calamante, regional coordinator of the Buenos Aires Ministry of Labor, emphasized the enduring relevance of the victory celebrated this November 4. “Twenty years later, we can see that the same battles continue, like resisting U.S. policies of intervention in Latin America. Today we face a new wave of interference, in Venezuela, in Colombia—even military—alongside systematic economic attacks on Brazil and Argentina.”
For many, the commemoration in Mar del Plata not only honors a historic event but also serves as a renewed call for Latin American integration rooted in sovereignty, cooperation, and social justice, at a time when foreign influence and economic tensions once again shape the regional landscape.
From Memory to Action
According to Hugo Yasky, secretary general of the CTA (Argentine Workers’ Central Union) and national deputy, the gathering is about reflection and commitment. “This meeting in Mar del Plata is not about looking back with nostalgia. It’s about analyzing today’s challenges in the face of new forms of foreign interference in our region.” Yasky recalled the massive mobilization two decades ago, led by figures such as Chávez, Kirchner, Lula, and Correa, which expressed a united rejection of U.S. dominance.
“Today we see external pressures reemerging—political, military, and economic. The recent influence of Donald Trump in Latin American electoral processes is a clear sign of continuity. Strengthening Latin American unity is essential if we are to achieve true sovereignty and regional integration,” he concluded.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – English