Above photo: The Council rejected the US State Department report accusing Venezuela of being a drug-producing and transit country. Cuban Foreign Ministry.
The 26th Political Council of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) concluded on Wednesday with a powerful final declaration underscoring the alliance’s continued resistance to foreign intervention and reaffirmation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. The council meeting brought together high-level representatives from ALBA-TCP member states, who jointly expressed concern over escalating threats to peace, sovereignty, and regional stability—particularly those stemming from the imperialist aggression orchestrated by the United States.
The member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) reaffirmed on Thursday their commitment to the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, within the framework of the XXVI Political Council, held in New York on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada
In their closing statement, member states reiterated their unwavering commitment to the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, originally adopted in 2014. The alliance invoked the legacy of regional heroes such as Simon Bolivar, José Martí, Augusto C. Sandino, and the enduring revolutionary influence of Commanders Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, emphasizing their inspiration in the ongoing struggle against neocolonialism and imperialism.
Condemnation of U.S. Military Presence
The event closed with a categorical rejection of the unjustified and extraordinary military deployment of U.S. forces in the Caribbean, which includes destroyers, missile cruisers, and nuclear submarines. The council labeled this presence a “flagrant violation” of the Peace Proclamation, arguing that such actions threaten the peace, security, and sovereignty of the region.
The final declaration strongly condemned the continued use of illegal unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. government on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, calling for their immediate and unconditional cessation. These measures constitute unjust economic warfare and aim to destabilize sovereign governments under the guise of promoting democracy or combating drug trafficking.
In a particularly forceful denunciation, the alliance addressed recent extrajudicial killings admitted to by U.S. authorities, carried out in the Caribbean Sea, and described these actions as serious violations of international law and fundamental human rights, demanding accountability and the end of impunity.
Solidarity with Palestine
The ALBA-TCP nations also turned their attention to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, denouncing the genocide being carried out by the Zionist regime of Israel in the Gaza Strip. The council called for an immediate end to the occupation and reaffirmed unconditional support for the Palestinian people, emphasizing their right to a sovereign and independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Likewise, the declaration called on ALBA-TCP member states to strengthen cooperation and solidarity to resist external threats and uphold the region’s collective security with a continued coordination to counter all actions undermining the autonomy of Latin American and Caribbean peoples.
As the United Nations General Assembly continues in New York it has been marked by tensions in the international arena, but also as a moment of hope by the, ALBA-TCP nations with their solidarity and a renewed pledge to defend peace, sovereignty, and dignity, standing firm against what it considers imperialist strategies disguised as humanitarian or anti-drug efforts.
