Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty
On March 1, 2021, ALBA-TCP conducted a virtual meeting to address the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, one year after the first infection was realized in Latin America and the Caribbean. To address the COVID-19 crisis in its member countries, ALBA-TCP agreed upon the ALBA Economic Contingency Plan which contains various agreements on health, transportation, and the economy. Solutions to the pandemic economic crises have included the creation of a humanitarian fund with finances that can be deployed immediately to show solidarity to affected communities. The bloc will also establish the ALBA Health Observatory to monitor medical services and create a bank of medical equipment and high-quality, low-cost medicines. Now that the COVID-19 vaccine is developed, ALBA established a vaccine bank using the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V. 20,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine acquired from China has reached Dominica, transported by the Venezuelan government and organized by ALBA, according to Venezuelan state media. ALBA created the Post Pandemic Work Plan 2021 to assist with the revival of various economic sectors hardest hit by the pandemic. ALBA will also assist in training medical professionals to support the presence of the Cuban Medical Brigades across the world.
ALBA relaunched el Banco del ALBA and PetroCaribe and reactivated two previous initiatives, ALBA-Salud and ALBA-Alimentos in order to redistribute seeds, fertilizers, and food to vulnerable communities throughout the bloc. Through strengthening PetroCaribe and Banco del ALBA and encouraging member countries to design incentives for productive economies, the bloc aims to create a more inclusive and sustainable economic geography. ALBA’s first priority is to deliver food and funds to its smaller Caribbean states that are more economically vulnerable or heavily reliant on tourism. Although ALBA has encouraged self-sufficiency among its member states, many ALBA leaders have also emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). The bloc rejected the American sanctions that have hindered the humanitarian response in Cuba and Venezuela, instead looking towards partnerships with Russia, China, and other countries in Africa and Asia.
Related Country Pages
The following country pages document ALBA-TCP’s response to the pandemic in specific areas, or contain links to further resources about ALBA.
Select resources for ALBA-TCP:
To learn more about ALBA-TCP, visit http://www.portalalba.org/index.php/.
Banco del Alba. (2020, June 29). Solidaridad del Alba posibilita la repatriación de estudiantes caribeños y de brigada médica cubana. https://bancodelalba.org/la-solidaridad-del-alba-posibilita-la-repatriacion-de-estudiantes-caribenos-y-brigada-medica-cubana.
————. (2020, July 2). PetroCaribe y Banco del Alba los dos Brazos del Alba para los Nuevos Tiempos Económicos. Banco del Alba. https://bancodelalba.org/petrocaribe-y-banco-del-alba-los-dos-brazos-de-la-alianza.
————. (2020, July 3). Nace el Fondo Humanitario del Alba para hacer frente a los desafíos económicos de la pandemia del Covid-19. https://bancodelalba.org/nace-el-fondo-humanitario-del-alba-para-hacer-frente-a-los-desafios-economicos-de-la-pandemia-del-covid-19.
Melean, E. (2021, March 1). Venezuela aboga por que el ALBA-TCP se convierta en el motor de los mecanismos de integración regional. http://www.mppre.gob.ve/2021/03/01/venezuela-aboga-alba-tcp-convierta-motor-mecanismos-integracion-regional/.
Moreno Gimeranez, E. (2020, June 9). El ALBA-TCP frente a la COVID-19: 5 datos sobre la Conferencia de Alto Nivel de este miércoles. http://www.granma.cu/mundo/2020-06-09/el-alba-tcp-frente-a-la-covid-19-5-datos-sobre-la-conferencia-de-alto-nivel-de-este-miercoles-09-06-2020-23-06-15.
MPPRE. (2020). Geopolítica de la economía global: Oportunidades para un nuevo comienzo en los países del sur global después de la pandemia COVID-19. Portal Alba. http://www.portalalba.org/index.php/areas/politica-democracia/fuerzas-populares2/24967-geopolitica-de-la-economia-global-oportunidades-para-un-nuevo-comienzo-en-los-paises-del-sur-global-despues-de-la-pandemia-covid-19.
————. (2021, January 12). ALBA-TCP fortalece sus mecanismos de articulación con otros espacios de integración. Portal Alba. http://www.portalalba.org/index.php/areas/integracion-regional/alba/26147-alba-tcp-fortalece-sus-mecanismos-de-articulacion-con-otros-espacios-de-integracion.
————. (2021, February 14). ALBA-TCP y Fondo Ruso diseñan ruta para la adquisición de vacunas contra el COVID-19. Portal Alba. http://www.portalalba.org/index.php/areas/integracion-regional/alba/26494-alba-tcp-y-fondo-ruso-disenan-ruta-para-la-adquisicion-de-vacunas-contra-el-covid-19.
————. (2021, February 18). Ministros de Agricultura del ALBA-TCP se reunirán para impulsar sector agroalimentario. Portal Alba. http://www.portalalba.org/index.php/areas/integracion-regional/alba/26524-ministros-de-agricultura-del-alba-tcp-se-reuniran-para-impulsar-sector-agroalimentario.
————. (2021, March 1). Banco del ALBA proyecta el acompañamiento financiero para el logro de los objetivos de integración y desarrollo regional. Portal Alba. http://www.portalalba.org/index.php/areas/integracion-regional/alba/26666-banco-del-alba-proyecta-el-acompanamiento-financiero-para-el-logro-de-los-objetivos-de-integracion-y-desarrollo-regional.
Peoples Dispatch. (2020, June 12). ALBA-TCP member countries address post-pandemic economics in virtual conference. https://peoplesdispatch.org/2020/06/12/alba-tcp-member-countries-address-post-pandemic-economics-in-virtual-conference/.
Prensa Latina. (2020, June 30). ALBA-TCP coordinates efforts to confront effects of Covid-19 pandemic. https://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn.
Prensa Minci. (2020). Convenio de Cooperación Cuba-Venezuela expresa innegables hechos de trascendencia social. http://www.portalalba.org/index.php/areas/integracion-regional/alba/25488-convenio-de-cooperacion-cuba-venezuela-expresa-innegables-hechos-de-trascendencia-social-video.
Rodríguez Milán, Y., Pichardo, M., & Abreu, Y. (2020, June 29). En vivo: Consejo Político y Económico del ALBA-TCP concerta acciones para aliviar efectos de la pandemia. http://www.granma.cu/mundo/2020-06-29/en-vivo-consejo-politico-y-economico-del-alba-tcp-concerta-acciones-para-aliviar-efectos-de-la-pandemia.
TeleSUR. (2020, June 29). Relanzarán plan del ALBA-TCP en materia de alimentos a los países de la región. https://www.telesurtv.net/news/Inicia-reunion-de-los-Consejos-Ministeriales-del-ALBA-TCP-20200629-0060.html.
————. (2021, March 4). Dominica Receives COVID-19 Vaccines with ALBA-TCP Assistance. https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Dominica-Receives-COVID-19-Vaccines-with-ALBA-TCP-Assistance-20210304-0021.html.
VTV. (2020, June 30). ALBA-TCP aprueba Plan de Contingencia Económica por pandemia de la Covid-19. https://www.vtv.gob.ve/plan-contingencia-economica-pandemia-alba-tcp/.
