The member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) met on August 20 to support Venezuelan sovereignty and the government of Nicolás Maduro after the recent deployment of US military forces in the Caribbean Sea.

The countries that make up ALBA-TCP are: Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and Venezuela. In addition, Haiti and Iran are observer members.

Following the meeting of several heads of state and government, the international organization made a statement in favor of “the defense of the sovereignty, security, and stability of our peoples”.

“Today, as the vanguard of free peoples, we declare that true peace can only come from social justice, respect for the sovereignty of nations, and the self-determination of peoples. In the face of imperialism that threatens with wars and blockades, Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirm that they will follow the path of Bolívar, Martí, Chávez, and Fidel, and ratify their irrevocable commitment to protect the region so that we may continue to be a Zone of Peace,” the statement said.

A new offensive against Venezuela

A few days ago, the US government increased the reward for Maduro’s arrest to USD 50 million. According to Washington, Maduro is linked to drug trafficking and several drug cartels, especially the so-called “Cartel of the Suns”.

Following this, under the justification of the fight against drug trafficking, the United States deployed the warships USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale, and USS San Antonio, as well as 4,000 marines, to the Caribbean Sea. This has been interpreted by several experts as an action directed against the Chavista government of Venezuela.

Accusations of drug trafficking and other crimes, such as arms and human trafficking, have been repeatedly rejected by the Venezuelan government and by Maduro himself, who, on the contrary, claims that these accusations are being used to justify intervention in Venezuela, the overthrow of the government, and seizure of its natural resources. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves on the planet. In response to the Trump administration’s move, Caracas has mobilized nearly 4.5 million members of the Bolivarian Militia, in addition to putting its entire military structure on alert.

ALBA-TCP supports Venezuela

Among the most important points agreed upon by ALBA-TCP members are:

Support the government of Nicolás Maduro in the face of the judicial and media offensive promoted by the United States.Categorically reject the US military deployment disguised as an anti-drug mission, which threatens regional peace.Denounce the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba.Condemning imperialist destabilization policies that seek to undermine the unity and self-determination of people.Support the call by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, current pro tempore president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), for an urgent meeting of foreign ministers to establish a joint, dignified, and sovereign position in response to threats against Venezuela and regional peace.Reaffirm the anti-imperialist and solidarity-based nature of ALBA-TCP, as well as the decision to continue defending the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

Reactions from heads of state

During the virtual meeting, several heads of state shared their views on the current situation in the Caribbean. The Venezuelan president rejected the possibility of military intervention in his country: “They think that just one word from them is enough for the people to surrender their flags and hand over their homeland. Here, they will not succeed in colonizing or enslaving Venezuela, South America, or Our America. And if one day they reach Venezuela, all of America will rise for us, for the people of Bolívar, and they will see the biggest surprise in store for an aggressive empire that seeks to impose itself through immoral and illegal methods.”

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, for his part, rejected the accusations against the Venezuelan government: “Cuba strongly denounces this new show of imperial force, and we join the call to ALBA-TCP and all the peoples of the world to condemn this irrational attack by the Trump administration. We also denounce with equal firmness the encouragement and financing of terrorist plans against Venezuela, as well as the false accusation made by the US government against President Nicolás Maduro, which seeks to associate him, without any basis or evidence, with criminal organizations linked to illicit drug trafficking.”

For his part, Raul Consalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, said: “We must give impetus to the summit’s agenda amid an unfortunate intensification of activities against Venezuela and Cuba by certain political forces in North America.”

Bolivian President Luis Arce also condemned the latest military actions in the Caribbean: “We are participating in this meeting to express our absolute solidarity with the people and government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the face of the unacceptable provocation by the United States, which still thinks that Our America, as Martí called it, continues to be its backyard and rear guard.”

The post ALBA-TCP countries condemn Washington’s latest military moves appeared first on Peoples Dispatch.

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