Latin American Leaders Arrive in Venezuela for ALBA Summit

Several Latin American and Caribbean leaders, including Bolivian President Evo Morales, Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega and Cuban President Raul Castro, arrived in Caracas early Monday, to participate in the 15th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP).

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The Latin American leaders were received by high-ranking Venezuelan officials as they arrived in Caracas Monday morning to attend the summit.

"The ALBA-TCP which was founded by Fidel, Chavez and they are present here, they are always present in these summits because they are summits were the people continue defending peace, security and the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean," Ortega said upon arriving at the Simon Bolivar International Airport where he was received by Vice President of the Constitutional Assembly, Aristobulo Isturiz.

Caribbean leaders also arrived in Caracas, including Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, Suriname foreign minister Yldiz Pollack, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, Anthony Liverpool, and Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador, Michael Oliver Powell.

Ecuador's Minister of Defense, Patricio Zambrano, is also in attendance representing the Andean nation.

ALBA participating nations are expected to ratify support for Venezuela's right to resolve political differences without the intervention of external forces. President Nicolas Maduro will chair the summit which will also mark the legacy of late former President Hugo Chavez, five years after his passing.

The Bolivia-Chile landlock dispute, which is active in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of The Hague, will be high on the agenda at the summit. Bolivia recently requested that the ICJ rule on whether or not Chile is obliged to renegotiate their shared borders territory.

Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz has accused Bolivia of showing "inconsistencies" and "changes in course" in their argument.

The tiff started after Bolivia – which owned 46,000 square miles of territory in what is now northern Chile - in 1884 suffered defeat at the hands of Chile in a 10-year war.

A World Day of Solidarity townhall will be held at the famed Teresa Carreño Theater, where members of various movements will engage in discussion related to communication and social rights issues.

In addition to Venezuela and Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Ecuador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Suriname will also attend.