Member states of ALBA, the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas, have kicked off a summit in Venezuela. On Monday, Cuban President Raul Castro, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega joined Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at a parade marking Venezuela’s bicentennial. The celebration comes days after Venezuela marked the eighth anniversary of the US-backed coup that briefly removed Chavez from office. Addressing the crowd, Chavez called for continued resistance to foreign interference.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: “Here, the people and the soldiers are prepared to defend to the very last millimeter this sacred land that will never be ruled by a foreign power — a free and independent country.”