Strengthening civil society
ALBA - Venezuela’s answer to “free trade”: the Bolivarian alternative for the Americas
ALBA: a challenge to US hegemony in Latin America?
Authors:
D. Harris; D. Azzi
Publisher:
Focus on the Global South, 2006
The Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) represents the first attempt at regional integration that is based on a new vision of social welfare and equity, rather than on trade liberalisation. This paper provides a detailed account and a critical assessment of the ALBA project to date.
Key points from the analysis include:
- there is a disconnect between ALBA’s rhetoric and practice, although its stated intentions are grounded in popular participation, most actions are a result of agreements signed by heads of state
- nevertheless, concrete proposals for increasing public participation are made explicit in ALBA documentation
- unlike other regional groupings, ALBA has not played a role in international fora such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or G20.
The authors conclude that the ALBA has been useful in several ways, including:
- educating and mobilising social movements against the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations
- convincing many governments in the region that there are alternative forms of integration that go beyond the free trade agenda
- having political influence through which Venezuela has formalised and legitimised many solidarity actions towards Cuba
- strengthening President Hugo Chávez’ position in his tensions with the White House and in international trade negotiations.
