Member states of ALBA

Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) has 11 member states and three observer states. In addition, Suriname is a "special guest members" which intends to become a full member.

When it was launched, ALBA had two member states, Venezuela and Cuba. Subsequently a number of other Latin American and Caribbean nations have entered into this Peoples' Trade Agreement (Spanish: Tratado de Comercio de los Pueblos, or TCP) which aims to implement the principles of ALBA.

President Evo Morales, of poor but natural gas-rich Bolivia, joined the TCP on 29 April 2006, only days before he announced his intention to nationalize Bolivia's hydrocarbon assets. Bolivia is a member of both UNASUR and ALBA, thus its attitude is crucial to relations between the two, says Marion Hörmann, since Bolivia is traditionally seen as a mediator between the Andean countries and the rest of South America. Regional Integration: Key Role for Bolivia. Venezuela and Ecuador are also members of UNASUR.

Newly elected President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua signed the agreement in January 2007; Venezuela agreed to forgive Nicaragua's US$31 million debt as a result. On 23 February 2007, Ortega visited Caracas to solidify Nicaragua's participation in ALBA. However, Nicaragua is also a member of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador, signed a joint agreement with Hugo Chávez, for Ecuador to become a member of ALBA once he became president. Ecuador officially joined in June 2009.

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