The president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, sent a message through the media on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the fall of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and expressed that: “The FTAA “It was a threat of accelerated colonization, from the economy, to politics and to culture.”
On this occasion, the head of state recalled the victory of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America over the FTAA and highlighted the importance of this achievement: “Commander Chávez always reminded us that the FTAA used the word Freedom, to mask the truth of domination, of colonization. The agreements that this organization proposed really meant the absolute destruction of the economic apparatus of our entire continent.”
Likewise, he stated that “Thanks to the Summit of the Americas, with Commander Chávez and Néstor Kirchner at the forefront, two brave men who achieved a before and after a tough battle that culminated in a great victory against that neocolonial model.”
President Maduro also warned about new challenges: “Now they intend to impose a new model: neofascism. Let no one doubt, if the FTAA model was neocolonial, from an economic point of view, the model that the government of Javier Milei, Noboa, and the North American empire in Venezuela wants to impose, is a fascist model.”
In this way, he concluded “I have no doubt that for this historical time the strength of the people will prevail. Today, 19 years later, we triumph again. We remain standing, and we will be free. “Long live the union of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean!”
It should be noted that on November 4, 2005, presidents Néstor Kirchner (Argentina), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Nicanor Duarte Frutos (Paraguay) and Tabaré Vázquez (Uruguay) delivered a diplomatic defeat to the FTAA, promoted by the president of the United States, George Bush, at the IV Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata. Under the slogan “No to the FTAA”, this event was a historic milestone in the region.
One of the emblematic phrases in this defeat was: “FTAA, FTAA, fuck it!” pronounced by Commander Hugo Chávez during the Mar del Plata Summit sealed the fate of the FTAA. This moment meant a resounding setback for the United States and its geopolitical aspirations in the region, which highlighted the fight for the sovereignty and self-determination of the Latin American peoples.
The FTAA presented as its central axes the deregulation of markets, the free circulation of capital and goods, and the privatization of public services. This would reinforce the power of large multinational corporations, especially American ones, and weaken the ability of States to implement active policies that reactivate the economy and promote economic development and social integration.
VTV/LM/AMV/DB/
