Chavez calls for urgent ALBA summit on Bolivia

Caracas, Venezuela, 23 April 2008. Today, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called for an urgent ALBA summit on Bolivia from tomorrow at Caracas. The Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA)  is an inter cooperation organization created in 2004 as an alternative to Free Trade Area of the Americas proposed by the US. 

At the ALBA Summit, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela will discuss the impending referendum in Bolivia early next months. Right wing separatist movements - backed by the US - will proposed independece for the following oil and gas rich provinces: Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, Chuqisaca and Tarija.  Socialist Bolivian government does not recognize the referendum. On many occasion it has stated it did not comply with legal constitutional rules. Other countries of the region -Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador- have also expressed their concern over the referendum. 200 Intellectuals along Chosmky, Rigoberta Manchu, Adolfo Perez Ezquivel, have rejected the Referendum.  They all fear a violent outcome.

Bolivian President, Evo Morales, has been turing the US to explain the impending crisis. Yesterday, he addressed the UN. Morales would also attend the ALBA summit. Few agreements are expected to be signed tomorrow during the Summit.  

Sources: VTV, Globovision, Unionradio, YVKE, El Universal, Telesur,