Caribbean Inc
Economy
Caribbean leaders voice concern on ALBA alliance
By Bert Wilkinson, Associated Press Writer
Caribbean leaders say leftist Latin American alliance threatens islands' integration project
Some Caribbean leaders expressed concern Friday that a leftist Latin American alliance making inroads in the region could hurt a long-running project to integrate island economies.
So far the Caribbean nations of Antigua, Dominica and St. Vincent have joined the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, or ALBA, a nine-nation trade alliance backed by the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The project's growth was on the agenda for discussions at a four-day summit here of the Caribbean Community, a 15-nation grouping also known as Caricom that was created in the 1970s.
Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding conceded many leaders are frustrated by the slow pace of integration under Caricom, but he said taking on new international commitments will only make it more difficult. "When you start to create other alliances, you assume other responsibilities and obligations which may very well cut across the obligations you have at home," Golding said. >>> Go to Full Story >>>
Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
The publication of the sixty-first edition of the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, corresponding to 2008-2009, comes at a critical point in the economic development of the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Download the complete publication here: Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean