bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo
   

Chavez and ALBA

Todas las versiones de este artículo: [English] [Español]

La Hora | 20-9-11

Chavez and ALBA

Freely translated by Anoosha Boralessa (June 2015). Not revised by bilaterals.org or any person or organization.

By Rodrigo Santillan Peralbo

The people of Latin America and the Caribbean share the same history, customs, pluricultural and multinational wealth. They bear equally the pain and tears rooted in systematic colonial and neo-colonial exploitation and cruel dictatorships that succeeded in fracturing their relationships and dividing them. This has benefitted the metropoles that pillaged them of their natural and human resources and ultimately condemned them to underdevelopment, poverty, marginalization and abandonment.

This situation could not last forever. In the dawn of the 21st century, new ways of integration began to take shape, as well as unions that were more robust and less commercial. Such Unions include Alba and Unasur. Perhaps yet another organization of Latin American and Caribbean states, without the imperial tutelage, may emerge.

Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez have powerful enemies throughout the world among the political and economic right –wing in addition to the empire. But Venezuelans and Latin Americans would have to acknowledge that Fidel and Chavez devised, created and forged the Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America/The Trade Treaty for Our People. This was born in Havana on 14 December 2004 in response to the FTAA and the FTAs that the White House was seeking to impose for its own advantage.

As if completely ransacked of human emotion, those in opposition delighted that Chavez was suffering from cancer. They made plans to celebrate his death and to demolish ALBA, the Bank of the South and Telesur. They also planned to remove Venezuela from Mercosur and to destroy Unasur.

The right to challenge on grounds of political ideology is legitimate. However, sickly hatred should never lead to rejoice unrelated misfortune. It is certainly the case that Chavez has completely beaten his cancer and that today, his life expectancy is between 35 - 40 years. Consequently, ALBA and Unasur are there to strengthen the union and not to be eliminated from history.


 Fuente: La Hora