ALBA INFO hosts links to a variety of resources on the Bolivarian Alliance, displaying them in a simple accessible manner. This includes a broad range of literature such as books and book chapters, academic articles, student papers, newspaper and magazine columns, as well as links to multimedia resources. ALBA INFO also features a news page which provides up to date information of developments in the ALBA and research into it.
What is the ALBA? The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (the ALBA or ALBA-TCP for short), was founded on the 14th of December 2004 when presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Fidel Castro of Cuba signed protocols bringing the agreement into existence. In its own terms the ALBA is a “political, economic, and social alliance in defense of independence, self-determination and the identity of peoples comprising it”, which now includes eleven member states from Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information please see our What is the ALBA? page, read some literature on the ALBA, or consult one of the websites listed on our Website Links page.
(Photo: Rafael Correa, Raul Castro, Nicholas Maduro and Hugo Chavez at the ALBA’s Ninth Summit, held on the 19th of April 2010 in Caracas, Venezuela. From Presidencia de la República del Ecuador on Flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0)
Why ALBA INFO? While there has been extensive journalistic coverage and academic research into the Latin American “Pink Tide”, material focusing on the ALBA itself seems relatively scarce – certainly at first glance.
In the conclusion of his literature review on the ALBA, Christopher Absell writes “One of the principal weaknesses of the literature is the absence of the development of a shared bibliography”. Absell is concerned about how those approaching the topic of the ALBA may be speaking past each other, rather than effectively engaging with each other and developing a useful research agenda.
Although some are clearly well aware of other work on the ALBA (see for example Thomas Muhr’s criticisms within his introductory chapter to Counter-Globalization and Socialism in the 21st Century), Absell’s point does seem to hold a certain level of validity. Furthermore, while it may be an easier task for experienced researchers, finding and accessing the various dispersed resources on the ALBA can be a difficult and time-consuming task for many.
Who edits ALBA INFO? ALBA INFO is an independent website that was founded in 2014 by Laurence Goodchild (Oxford, UK). The website is currently still in its embryonic stages and limited to the English language. Any comments or suggestions are welcome, as are any contributors who wish to actively help with the running of the site. Please contact Laurence Goodchild at laurencegoodchild91 <at> gmail.com
[NOTE TO AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS]
Only links to published works are provided on this website, no content is hosted. If you do not wish for your content to be linked to by this website please contact us.
Most images on this website are either copyright free or published under a Creative Commons public domain license. Where this is not the case (e.g book cover images), efforts to attain the permission of the copyright holders will have been sought prior to their uploading.
ALBA INFO 