Regional ALBA Bloc Backs Maduro Reelection, Rejects Foreign Interference in Venezuela

Mexico City, Mexico, August 27, 2024 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The bloc of countries that comprise the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America-Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) announced its support for Nicolás Maduro in the face of ongoing international efforts to cast doubt on the results of the July 28 presidential election.

“We congratulate Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro Moros and his people who, with resilience and adherence to justice, have managed to defeat the ongoing coup attempt and we reaffirm our commitment and unrestricted support for the […] reelected government,” read the joint statement.

ALBA-TCP held an extraordinary summit of the member states’ leadership in Caracas on Monday to elaborate a shared position and defend Venezuela from what the bloc called the “tentacles of fascism” as several foreign countries endorsed the US-backed opposition’s efforts to delegitimize the results.

“There is no doubt today that in Europe, in South America, in the United States of America, there is a powerful resurgence of fascism. It is already a reality,” said Maduro during his address to the gathering.

The ten-member bloc backed the decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Court (TSJ) to ratify President Maduro’s victory to secure a third term. Venezuela’s electoral authority earlier declared Maduro the winner with 52 percent of the vote, compared to 43 percent for hardline opposition candidate Edmundo González.

During the virtual summit, several heads of state expressed their support for Venezuela and its leadership in the region, including Cuba’s Miguel Díaz-Canel, Bolivia’s Luis Arce and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.

“We denounce the continuation of imperialist harassment, external interference, the onslaught of the oligarchies, and the media and political manipulation to generate destabilization and promote a coup and attempt to overthrow the legitimate Bolivarian and Chavista Government,” said Díaz-Canel. 

Other ALBA leaders likewise centered their criticisms on the meddling role played by Washington in the region.

“The United States must cease interference in the affairs of the governments of the region. We must exorcize the evil spirit of the United States that influences the foreign policy of Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken first recognized former presidential candidate González as the winner of the election, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller later retracted that stance and said that the Biden administration had not recognized González as president-elect. Subsequent statements from US officials have nevertheless emphasized backing for the opposition’s victory claim and the need for a “transition.”

The US has lent its support to dialogue efforts by Colombia and Brazil. Mexico had previously been part of said efforts but subsequently withdrew. The mediation role by these countries has been overstated, as they have not been formally recognized by Venezuela. 

Brazil and Colombia issued a joint statement following a phone conversation between Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Gustavo Petro that reiterated their call for the publication of detailed election results, while additionally calling for an end to sanctions against Venezuela. 

Separately, China also declared its support for Venezuelan institutions and sovereignty, as well as respect for the July 28 election results.

“Everyone should respect the choice made by the Venezuelan people and the right of Venezuela to independently choose its own development path. We believe that the Venezuelan government and people are capable of handling their internal affairs well,” said a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Numerous other countries that are not members of the ALBA bloc, including Russia and Honduras, have likewise endorsed Maduro’s reelection. 

The 9-point ALBA-TCP statement concluded by reiterating the region’s declaration as a “zone of peace” and called for an end to foreign intervention.

“We demand the strict compliance with the obligation not to intervene, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs of any other State and to fully respect the inalienable right of every State to choose its political, economic, social and cultural system as an essential requirement to guarantee peaceful coexistence among nations, peace and stability in our region,” read the communique.

The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America was founded in 2004 by Latin American leaders Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela as a counterweight to the United States’ neoliberal agenda, eventually transforming into a progressive economic bloc that advocates for political, social, and economic collaboration between member states.

ALBA-TCP held its most recent ordinary summit in April where the bloc approved its short and long-term agenda, as well as a special declaration calling for an end to the genocide being perpetrated against the Palestinian people.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.