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BY JOAQUIN RIVERY TUR AND JUVENAL BALAN—Granma
daily special orrespondents—
 MANAGUA,
January 11.—With the official declaration that
Nicaragua is to join the Bolivarian Alternative
for the Americas (ALBA) and the signing of its
founding document, there are now four countries
making up this new form of peoples’ integration.
Representatives of the new integration bloc were
present at an event in the Rubén Darío Theater
that President Daniel Ortega described as
historic when he affirmed that Nicaragua had
adopted the principles of the ALBA founding
declaration, dated December 14, 2004, and
signed at that time by President Fidel Castro
and President Hugo Chávez. Then Bolivia, the
third member, joined in April 2006 and the Trade
Treaty of the Peoples was incorporated.
The principles, as noted by José Ramón Machado,
vice president of the Council of State of Cuba,
are solidarity, cooperation and complementarity
in a region where basic human rights like
education, health and social security are
problems that have to be solved.
The four signatories of Nicaragua’s
incorporation condemned the trail of poverty
left by the application of neoliberal formulas.
Ortega noted that an emergency situation has
been created in Nicaragua over the last 16
years, and Machado Ventura stressed the changes
that are needed by the peoples and that cannot
be postponed.
“We are going in the right direction, we are
already many,” exclaimed Evo. “The hour of the
resurrection of the peoples in this new battle
has arrived,” stated Venezuelan leader Hugo
Chávez.
And Fidel was present. His name resounded in the
theater in the voices of the four signatories
with acknowledgment, in friendship, with
affection. Because his ideas are starting to
bear fruit.
The Nicaraguan president decorated Chávez and
Evo Morales with the Augusto César Sandino Order
in the highest grade of the Battle of San
Vicente. Fidel has already received that
recognition.
After signing the documents, the four
signatories raised them on high and then, as a
symbol of unity, extended their arms and placed
them one over each other on the copies signed.
Translated by Granma International
(Granma) 12-01-2007
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