The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Heads of Delegations of the member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - Treaty of Commerce of the Peoples (ALBA-TCP), met in Havana, Cuba, on the occasion of its XVI Political Council and approved a very substantive Declaration that expresses the firm position of its member countries in the face of the main problems and challenges facing the Latin American and Caribbean region, caused by the aggressive imperialist policy of the Trump Administration that has focused on return to the threat of the use of force in international relations, in no disrespect to the norms of international law and the principles of the UN Charter. See the full text of the Declaration:
We congratulate ourselves on the XIII anniversary of ALBA-TCP, a historical creation inspired by the legacy of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, and the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías, whose thought and work confirm the full validity of the struggle for the emancipation of the peoples.
We demand the strict observance of the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations and International Law, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the prohibition of the use and threat of the use of force, respect for self-determination, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of each country.
We reaffirm the need to strengthen the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which pursues unity in the diversity of our region, through political coordination and integration, as well as the defense of our sovereignty and self-determination, and the development of our peoples, based on the postulates of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, signed by the Heads of State and Government of the region at the Second Summit of CELAC, in Havana.
We demand compliance with the Final Peace Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), which led to the definitive and bilateral cessation of fire and the abandonment of weapons, under a strict monitoring and verification mechanism, and we emphasize that only the fulfillment of this Agreement and the successful completion of ongoing peace dialogues between the ELN and the Colombian government, which are held in Ecuador, can guarantee the future of peace that deserves Colombia, and contribute positively to the stability of Latin America and the Caribbean.
We reject the setback imposed by the government of President Donald Trump on the relations of the United States with Cuba and we reiterate the claim of the region and the international community to unconditionally lift the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States. to Cuba, which due to its extraterritoriality affects all States. We also condemn the new measures to intensify the blockade and the recent unilateral, unfounded, arbitrary and politically motivated decisions of the Government of the United States, which affect the Cuban people, the US citizens and relations with Cuba as a whole.
We renew our firm support for the Bolivarian Revolution, its civic-military union and its government, led by the constitutional president Nicolás Maduro Moros. We celebrate with joy the victories of democracy in Venezuela based on the results of the recently held regional and municipal elections and the creation of the National Constituent Assembly, which through the vote have defeated the imperial strategy of coup-led violence aimed at plunging Venezuela into the chaos and overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution.
We reject the economic sanctions imposed by the United States, Canada and the European Union for political purposes, against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which affect the life and development of the noble Venezuelan people and the enjoyment of their rights.
We also reject the interventionist actions of the OAS and groups of countries for their continuous aggressions against the sovereignty, self-determination and constitutional order of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and other countries in which their peoples have decided to govern themselves without guardianship of no class, which would result in the destabilization of the region.
We welcome the celebration of the dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition that takes place in the Dominican Republic. We urge the international community to support this process and reject any kind of interference, conditioning or external pressure on this initiative.
We deplore the interference of the Secretary General of the OAS in democratic decisions adopted by state institutions of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, with the objective of defending the interests of foreign forces.
We welcome the sovereign security policies and practices developed by Nicaragua that are successful in containing drug trafficking and organized crime and contribute to the security of the region.
We condemn the situation created in Honduras. We firmly reject the repression against popular protests, we regret the loss of human lives, we express our condolences to the families of the victims and we call to respect the will of the people.
We ratify the universal nature of the Paris Agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and reiterate the call for its full implementation, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. We welcome the successful outcome of the Conference of the Parties (COP23), held in Bonn from November 6 to 17, 2017, and we urge the international community to take into consideration the special circumstances of the Small Island Developing States and the urgent need for the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We reiterate our unwavering support for the Caribbean countries, victims of devastating natural phenomena and climate change, in such a way that we actively contribute to overcoming the ravages they caused. We demand a fair and differentiated treatment for the Caribbean States. Likewise, we reaffirm our solidarity with the unjust measures called "graduation", and the actions of extra-regional countries against several Caribbean countries declaring them non-cooperative jurisdictions, and we join the claim of compensation for the horrors of slavery and trafficking.
We express our deep concern and rejection of the unilateral declaration of the President of the United States of America, on December 6, 2017, regarding the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which will have serious consequences for stability and security. in the Middle East, and constitutes a serious and flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, International Law and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. We also reaffirm our long-standing support and solidarity with the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people, and reiterate our commitment to continue supporting the just, lasting and peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on a two-State solution, which allows Palestine the exercise of the right to self-determination as an independent and sovereign State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the pre-1967 borders.
We reaffirm the continuity of our struggle, together with the political forces of the left and the popular movements of the region, for a Latin America and the Caribbean united, united, with social justice and truly integrated.
We also express our commitment to continue consolidating our coordination and unity of action, based on the solid heritage of our peoples, included in the political program Consensus of Our America and in the Declaration of Our America in the Fighting Footprint, adopted at the XXIII Meeting of the Forum of Sao Paulo, held in Managua, Nicaragua, in July 2017.
We are convinced of the widest convocation and the warm and solidary welcome of Cuba to the social movements and progressive forces of the region on the occasion of the XXIV Annual Meeting of the Forum of Sao Paulo, to be held in 2018.
We congratulate the results of the different electoral processes carried out in Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia during the 2017, sample of the traditional citizen participation of our countries.
We express our conviction that the unity and solidarity between our peoples and governments is the road to victory.
Havana, December 14, 2017.