When installing in Caracas the 19th Summit of Presidents of ALBA-TCP, the Venezuelan Head of State, Nicolás Maduro Moros assured that despite the attacks and aggressions of the oligarchies of the region, the peoples of the Great Homeland must resume the path of integration: “That is our path, that of Union”, he assured.
During the act of installation of this continental meeting, the national president thanked the presence of presidents, foreign ministers and political leaders of the region who defeated the distancing of the pandemic and the siege created against Venezuela, to say present in such an important event, framed in the celebration of June 24, a historic day for Venezuela and for the freedom of the peoples of the Americas dominated by Spain.
He indicated that the 19th ALBA-TCP Summit, held within the framework of the commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Battle of Carabobo, is being held simultaneously with the closing of the Bicentennial Congress of the Peoples, whose 379 delegates, representing movements social organizations and organizations from 67 countries, reiterated their commitment to consolidate a united front to face imperial threats.
In this regard, President Maduro recalled the integrationist legacy of Commander Hugo Chávez, present today more than ever “because he announced that we would arrive on June 24, 2021, to the Bicentennial of Carabobo, with a Venezuela that would stand, free, sovereign and independent”.
Chávez and Fidel, engines of integration:
He reflected on the creation of ALBA as an integration mechanism, under the impulse of two great leaders: Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro: “The union in action. There is nothing that unites two revolutionary spirits more than action. We had the opportunity to witness the union of the soul between Fidel and Chávez. A difficult feat to repeat in history”, he commented.
“Despite the fact that the two transcended, the right-wing media still does not rest trying to tarnish their names and honor. But when we are here, we are vindicating them”, he said.
Given this, the president reiterated his call for the unity of the peoples of Latin America, since, in his opinion, divisions are where failures have been encountered: “One of the serious evils of the peoples’ struggles, everywhere, has been divisionism, egos. In the case of the South American integration projects, it was the elites who destroyed them”, he said.
The legacy of Bolivar in force:
Maduro pointed out that in the face of this reality of struggle and resistance of the peoples, “the liberating and geopolitical doctrine of Simón Bolívar, is in full force today and thus we demonstrate it here at ALBA and in this Bicentennial Congress that has brought together 67 countries of the world.”
“Bolívar was clever, either we are all free or none of us will be free in South America. The spirit of Bolívar is today at this ALBA summit and at the Bicentennial Congress of the Peoples”, said President Maduro.
He assured that Bolívar was not satisfied with liberating the Gran Colombia and continued with the conquest towards the South: “in Carabobo began the definitive feat of the liberation of the Americas, from 300 years of yoke, and that is the vision with which our Commander Chávez built the Civic-Military union and the Simón Bolívar National Project”, he said.
