ALBA Has Three Nations
The Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a project for the integration of Latin American and Caribbean peoples promoted by Cuba and Venezuela, has today the active participation of a third country: Bolivia.

The expansion of this project was held at the Havana"s Revolution Square with the presence of Bolivia"s President Evo Morales, Venezuela"s Hugo Chavez and Cuba"s Fidel Castro.

President Fidel Castro mentioned Cuba, with 11.8 percent, and Venezuela, 9.3 percent, as the two Latin American nations with the highest Gross Domestic Product"s increase in 2005.

Both nations started 199 projects valued at $874.6 million in December 2004 and last year, bilateral exchange of goods and services was about $2.4 billion, the island"s head of state noted.

The statesman said that Venezuela"s declaration as a country free of illiteracy is it´s most relevant achievement in accordance with bilateral cooperation.

He recalled that from July 2004 to April 2006, nearly 220,571 patients, most of them Venezuelans, and from 25 other countries have been benefited with the Operation Miracle, allowing free ophthalmologic surgeries.

About 3,328 Venezuelans are currently studying medicine in Cuba and the figure could reach until 10,000 this year.

The island"s Revolution leader disclosed the initial contributions to Bolivia, as part of the integrationist way started by Venezuela and Cuba.

Bolivia has currently about 44 Cuban advisors and 18 from Venezuela to organize the illiteracy campaign, and material advice including 2,000 solar panels to be installed in distant places.

Due to the state of emergency for the intensive rains in early 2006 in Bolivia, Cuba sent a medical brigade with 62 specialists, who has assisted over 410,000 patients and saved 748 people.

Other 105 Cuban physicians are working in three Bolivian ophthalmologic centers as part of the Operation Miracle, and has assisted nearly 4,800 patients, stated Fidel Castro.

At present, 4,512 Bolivians are studying in Cuba, but this figure will also substantially increase soon, thanks to the recent accords signed by the ALBA, stated the Cuban president.