The member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), in relation to the Cartagena Summit and considering:

The solidarity of democracies in Latin America and the Caribbean, which during discussions at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Summit of the Americas has raised the banner of defense of the sovereignty and dignity of our peoples, as evidenced by the rejection of the unjustified and unsustainable exclusion of Cuba from this forum, as well as the condemnation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade the U.S. has imposed against the Cuban people for over fifty years;

The solidarity of President Rafael Correa and the Government of the Republic of Ecuador, whose absence at this meeting invited us to discuss essential issues and thus to make the decisions that the great homeland demands;

The overwhelming majority support against the U.S. blockade achieved and sustained in the United Nations (UN), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and other regional and sub-regional organizations;

The documents and actions of ALBA during the 5th Summit of the Americas protesting the unjustified exclusion of Cuba and the blockade, for which reason we insist that this be included in the political declaration;

That our liberators, with their independence movement, advanced decisively in building the dream of Bolívar: the great homeland represented by a united America;

We decide:

To reaffirm that the Republic of Cuba, as an integral part of our America, has the unconditional and unquestionable right to be present and participate as a sovereign equal in this forum, and as a result express our decision not to take part in future “Summits of the Americas” without the presence of Cuba.

To demand of the U.S. Government the immediate cessation of its inhumane economic, trade and financial embargo against Cuba, and commence a process of dialogue based on respect for the sovereign will and self-determination of the Cuban people.

To invite the Latin American and Caribbean countries to continue to maintain solidarity and unity in favor of the integration of Cuba into the Summit.

Cartagena, April 13, 2012