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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.
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History
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.
In January 2008, the Caribbean island nation of Dominica joined ALBA.
In April 2009, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was accepted as the seventh member of ALBA, while Grenada stated publicly that it was not yet ready to join the bloc.
In June 2009, the Prime Minister of Jamaica said he would seek to address the future of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) given the effects of ALBA and Trinidad and Tobago's proposed political union with the OECS on the Caribbean Community as the two main elements he says will have a "destabilising effect" on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) bloc.
Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines formally joined ALBA on 24 June 2009.
On 25 August 2008, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya signed an agreement to join the ALBA, with a rally in front of the Presidential House that was attended by many of the presidents of the countries that are part of ALBA, including Chávez and Morales. The Honduran congress – led by Roberto Micheletti, who later became Zelaya's main political enemy, and president of the interim government after the 2009 Honduran coup d'état – approved ALBA on 9 October 2008. On 16 December 2009, the Honduran congress met to withdraw the country from the ALBA, claiming a "lack of respect" from Venezuela since the country's joining in 2008, citing in particular Hugo Chavez' remarks about a potential invasion of Honduras to restore Manuel Zelaya to office, after he was removed on 28 June 2009 in the 2009 Honduran coup d'état. Withdrawal from ALBA was ratified by the Honduran Congress on 13 January 2010. Economic relations with Venezuela continue, including via Petrocaribe.
Saint Lucia joined as a full member on 30 July 2013. Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis became members on 14 December 2014. With their accession, all independent countries in the Lesser Antilles except Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are now members.
Observer states
As of December 2010, there are three countries that hold Observer status in ALBA, including Iran, Syria and Haiti. Haiti intends to join ALBA as a full member.