The Bolivarian Alliance for the countries of Our America.

ALBA Birth and Implementation The proposal was created for the first time by the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, within the framework of the III Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Association of Caribbean States, in December On December 14, 2004 the first summit of ALBA took place in Havana. The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and the President of the State Council of Cuba, Fidel Castro, signed the Joint Declaration for the creation of ALBA and the Application Agreement for ALBA. 5 ordinary summits and 8 extraordinary summits have been celebrated to date.

ALBA Participating Countries Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Republic of Cuba Pluri-national State of Bolivia Republic of Nicaragua Commonwealth of Dominica Republic of Ecuador Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Antigua and Barbuda

ALBA Guiding Principles (political document V Summit) Solidarity Genuine cooperation and complementary Rational use and in function of wellbeing for our countries; their natural resources, including their energy potential Comprehensive and intensive training of human capital needed for our development Attention to the needs and aspirations of our men and women

Structure Political CouncilEconomic Council Working Groups Presidential Summit Social Council Social Movements Council Permanent Coordination (Executive Secretariat) Political Commission

Economic Council Working Groups Energy integration Food security and sovereignty Trade complementation Technological sovereignty Industrial and production complementation New regional financial architecture Treatment of asymmetries Tourism Infrastructure and transportation Doctrine of industrial property Solution of controversies

Social Council ALBA-HEALTH In the framework of the Grand National Plan for the development of the Health Mission in the ALBA countries, the following has been addressed: – Recovery and development of public health systems – Supply of tools for research and to take advantage of the biodiversity resources in the region – Training of health professionals: Misión Milagro Internacional (International Miracle Mission; free eye surgery); Barrio Adentro (Inside Neighborhood Mission; 23,000 Cuban collaborators); bilateral agreements and collaborations (training for Bolivians in Venezuela; Cuban Medical Brigade in Haiti; Latin American School of Medicine, etc.). The importance given to health in integration processes is closely related to the attention that Nation-States give to various social concerns; to the development of labor, employment, and migration policies, to social participation as well as to redistributive public policies.

Social Council ALBA-HEALTH About centralized distribution of medicines to guarantee the inhabitants of the Great Motherland of Latin America with access to essential medicines. A project of Grand National Business “ALBA Center for the Regulation of Medicines” that is the Center for State Control of the Quality of Medicines (CECMED), Cuba’s Medicine Regulating Authority.

ALBA, as a political and strategic alliance, has the historical and fundamental purpose of unifying the capacities and strengths of the participating countries, with the goal to produce the structural transformations and relationship systems necessary to attain the comprehensive development required for the continuation of our existence as sovereign and just nations.

ALBA-CHALLENGES We, the ALBA country members, will jointly promote the consolidation of environments and will jointly value agreements and alliances with countries and organizations that contribute to the end of imperial hegemonies.

ALBA-CHALLENGES The ALBA countries will preserve and help to preserve peace by providing environments and agreements, alliances that strengthen their capacity to guarantee countries’ national sovereignty against foreign interventionism, in particular against the occupation and military threats of the Empire.

ALBA-CHALLENGES The Political Council of ALBA is ordered to include in its agenda the issue of progress towards greater political coordination and integration among its members, as a contribution to unify the entire region to produce a document, and submit it for the consideration of Heads of State and Government, proposing a path, a methodology and chronology of goals toward unifying efforts of our Governments and our States in defense of sovereignty, to confront political and interceding campaigns that the Empire launches against our countries.

ALBA-CHALLENGES DEFENSE OF THE RIGHTS OF THE MOTHER EARTH COMMON DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE ALBA THE GREAT HISTORICAL CHALLENGE: BUILD AN INDEPENDENT AND DEVELOPED ECONOMIC FOUNDATION CONSTITUTE THE ALBA COUNTRIES AS A SPACE OF EQUALITY, SOCIAL WELLBEING AND POVERTY IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE SOCIAL MISSIONS OF ALBA JOIN TOGETHER THE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS OF ALBA WITH THE ACTIONS OF REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENTS

The mission of ALBA Study of People with Disabilities Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines and Bolivia

Studies on Disability CUBA: To Life. Study’s Start Date: 27 July 2001 Completion Date: 27 April 2003 Total # of people with disabilities studied: 366,864 People with intellectual disabilities: 140,489 Other disabilities: 226,375 Rate per 100 inhabitants: 3.26 VENEZUELA: Dr. José Gregorio Hernández Mission. Study’s Start Date: 24 July 2007 Total # of people with disabilities studied: 338,545 People with intellectual disabilities: 100,124 Other disabilities: 238,421 Rate per 100 inhabitants: 1.21

NICARAGUA: Everyone with a voice. Study’s Start Date: 8 October, 2009 Total # of people with disabilities studied: 126,228 People with intellectual disabilities: 32,716. Other disabilities: 93,512. Rate per 100 inhabitants: 2.43 BOLIVIA: Solidarity Mission: Moto Méndez. Study’s Start Date: 4 November, 2009 Total # of people with disabilities studied: 82,027 People with intellectual disabilities: 18,429 Other disabilities: 63,658 Rate per 100 inhabitants: 0.99 Saint VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES: Life to live. Study’s Start Date: 1 March, 2010 Total # of people with disabilities studied: 2,195 People with intellectual disabilities: 497 Other disabilities: 1,698 Rate per 100 inhabitants: 2.20

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