Chavez Announces ALBA Meeting PRIOR TO Americas Summit

[magbana]

"Chavez Announces ALBA Meeting Prior to Americas Summit

HAVANA, Cuba, March 19 (acn) On April 16, Venezuela will host the Fifth Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative of Our Americas (ALBA), on the eve of the Summit of the Americas to take place in Puerto España, Trinidad and Tobago.


Cuban News Agency



The Summit of the Americas will be the first gathering between Latin American leaders and US President Barack Obama, reported Juventud Rebelde newspaper.

Chavez strongly criticized the exclusion of Cuba from the meeting, “It is the only country of the hemisphere excluded from the Summit of the Americas; this fact needs to be analyzed during the regional meeting. Cuba is part of Latin America. It doesn´t make sense that after having joined the regional institutions, summits and mechanisms, it is excluded from the Summit of the Americas.”

The Venezuelan leader criticized the US economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba and said that he hopes the new US administration defines its position regarding this issue.

Speaking about the ALBA Summit, Chavez expressed the interest of Antigua and Barbuda in joining the group.

Regarding El Salvador joining ALBA, Chavez said this integration initiative “has opened arms and hearts to receive El Salvador, if its government decides to do so. This is a decision that only president- elect Mauricio Funes can make.”

ALBA members Cuba, Bolivia, Dominica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela have taken important steps to consolidate the objectives of the organization, as a viable integration alternative based on solidarity, equality, and political, economical and social cooperation.

Since its inception, ALBA has established a regional ALBA bank and approved the creation of the Permanent ALBA Commission to monitor integration projects that have been approved at presidential and ministerial summits.

Education Ministers of the member countries met in the city of Nueva Esparta over the weekend with a focus on working together to carry out a literacy campaign throught the region to eliminate illiteracy by 2010, supported by Cuba and Venezuela. "
http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2009/1903ALBA.htm