ALBA Summit Ends Supporting Dispute Between Argentina and London

Yesterday, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), consisting of Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and San Vicente and Las Granadinas, concluded its eleventh summit, held in Caracas.They treated the subject of the Falkland Islands conflict with Argentina. ALBA members agreed to consider sanctions against London.

The summit also concluded with the idea of supporting for Cuba, but did not materialize Rafael Correa‘s proposal for the ALBA peers of not attending the Sixth Summit of the Americas to be held in April in Cartagena (Colombia), to reject that Cuba is not invited to the meeting in which Barack Obama is expected to attend. That proposal will be evaluated “urgently” by the foreign ministers and the Political Council called ALBA.

On the other hand, governments of Suriname and St. Lucia requested to become full members of Petrocaribe and ALBA yesterday. The presidents of ALBA also used the summit to adopt a statement condemning what they consider “systematic political interference” in Syria and to support the government initiatives of Bashar al-Assad to overcome the crisis.

ALBA leaders approved a plan of assistance for Haiti, on issues related to health and education. Foreign ministers scheduled a meeting for the next 2 and March 3 in the Haitian town of Jacmel.

(MS)