Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas

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Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America
Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América (Spanish)
Largest city Flag of Venezuela Caracas
Official languages
Member states
Establishment
 -  Cuba-Venezuela Agreement 14 December 2004 
 -  People's Trade Agreement 29 April 2006 
Area
 -  Total 2,625,829 km2 
1,013,834 sq mi 
Population
 -  2008 estimate 73,453,238 
 -  Density 27.97/km2 
72.45/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
 -  Total $669.206 billion (21)
 -  Per capita $9,110.64 (82)
Currency
Time zone (UTC-4 to -6)
Internet TLD
Website
AlternativaBolivariana.org

The Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America ("Alternative" was replaced with "Alliance" on June 24, 2009) [1] (Spanish: Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América or ALBA - which also means 'dawn' in Spanish) is an international cooperation organization based upon the idea of social, political, and economic integration between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is associated with the left, and unlike other free trade agreements, the ALBA represents an attempt at regional economic integration that is not based primarily on trade liberalization but on a vision of social welfare, bartering and mutual economic aid. ALBA nations are in the process of introducing a new regional currency, the SUCRE.

Contents

[edit] Background

The agreement was initially proposed by the government of Venezuela, led by Hugo Chavez, as an alternative to the failed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA or ALCA in Spanish) proposed by the United States. The adjective Bolivarian refers to Simón Bolívar, who is revered as a hero in Venezuela and to a lesser extent in entire Spanish-speaking South America for his leadership of independence movements against Spanish colonial power.

When it was launched, ALBA had two member states, Venezuela and Cuba.[2] Subsequently a number of other Latin American and Caribbean nations have entered into this Peoples' Trade Agreement (Spanish: Tratado de Comercio de los Pueblos, or TCP) which aims to implement the principles of ALBA.

The Cuba-Venezuela Agreement [3], which was signed on December 14, 2004, by Presidents Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, was aimed at the exchange of medical resources and petroleum between both nations. Venezuela delivers about 96,000 barrels of oil per day from its state-owned petroleum operations to Cuba at very favorable prices and Cuba in exchange sent 20,000 state-employed medical staff and thousands of teachers to Venezuela's poorest states.

[edit] Membership developments

President Evo Morales of poor but gas-rich Bolivia joined the TCP on April 29, 2006, only days before he announced his intention to nationalize Bolivia's hydrocarbon assets.[4]

Newly elected President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua signed the agreement in January 2007;[5] Venezuela agreed to forgive Nicaragua's US$31 million debt as a result. On February 23, 2007, Ortega visited Caracas to solidify Nicaragua's participation in ALBA.[6]. However, Nicaragua is also a member of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador, signed a joint agreement with Hugo Chávez, to become a member of ALBA once he became president.[7] Ecuador officially joined in June 2009.[8]

In January 2008, the Caribbean island nation of Dominica joined ALBA.[9]

On August 25 2008, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya signed an agreement to join the ALBA, with a rally in front of the Presidential House that was attended by many of the presidents of the countries that are part of ALBA, including Chávez and Morales.[10] Congress approved ALBA on October 9, 2008.[11]

In April 2009 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was accepted as the seventh member of ALBA, while Grenada stated publicly that it was not yet ready to join the bloc.[12]

In June 2009, the Prime Minster of Jamaica said he would seek address the future of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) given the effects of ALBA and Trinidad and Tobago's proposed political union with the OECS on the Caribbean Community as the two main elements he says will have a "destabilising effect" on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) bloc.[13]

Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines formally joined ALBA on 24 June 2009.[14]

[edit] Other developments

In December 2008, ALBA member countries met again to approve the technical details of the introduction of the new currency that was named SUCRE.

[edit] Member States List

Flag
CoA
Common name
Official name
Date joined
Population
Area (km²)
GDP PPP (US$ bn)
Capital
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda 02009-06-24 24 June 2009 &0000000000085632.00000085,632 &0000000000000442.000000442 1.546 St. John's
Flag of Bolivia
Bolivia Plurinational State of Bolivia 02006-04-29 29 April 2006 &0000000009119152.0000009,119,152 &0000000001098581.0000001,098,581 43.424 Sucre
Flag of Cuba
Cuba Republic of Cuba 02004-12-14 14 December 2004 &0000000011451652.00000011,451,652 &0000000000110861.000000110,861 108.2 Havana
Flag of Dominica
Dominica Commonwealth of Dominica 02008-01-20 20 January 2008 &0000000000072660.00000072,660 &0000000000000754.000000754 .72 Roseau
Flag of Ecuador
Ecuador Republic of Ecuador 02009-06-24 24 June 2009 &0000000014573101.00000014,573,101 &0000000000256370.000000256,370 106.993 Quito
Flag of Honduras
Honduras Republic of Honduras 02008-10-09 9 October 2008 &0000000007483763.0000007,483,763 &0000000000112492.000000112,492 32.725 Tegucigalpa
Flag of Nicaragua
Nicaragua Republic of Nicaragua 02007-02-23 23 February 2007 &0000000005891199.0000005,891,199 &0000000000129495.000000129,495 15.89 Managua
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 02009-06-24 24 June 2009 &0000000000120000.000000120,000 &0000000000000389.000000389 1.085 Kingstown
Flag of Venezuela
Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 02004-12-14 14 December 2004 &0000000028199825.00000028,199,825 &0000000000916445.000000916,445 358.623 Caracas
- ALBA Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America &0000000073453238.00000073,453,238 &0000000002625829.0000002,625,829 669.206

[edit] See also




[edit] References

[edit] External links

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