Bolivia and Venezuela express interest in joining BRICS

The governments of Bolivian President Luis Arce and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have officially applied to join the BRICS economic bloc and contribute in building a multipolar world

August 04, 2023 by Peoples Dispatch
Venezuela, Bolivia aim to join BRICS (1)
The governments of Bolivian President Luis Arce and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro recently expressed their interest in joining the BRICS economic bloc. (Photo: Prensa Latina)The governments of Bolivian President Luis Arce and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro recently expressed their interest in joining the BRICS economic bloc. (Photo: Prensa Latina)

The governments of Bolivian President Luis Arce and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have expressed their interest in joining the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

On July 31, Bolivian Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta said that the country will participate in the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, scheduled for August 22-24, and that President Arce would present the country’s economic and social development model at the meeting.

Mayta also reported that President Arce had officially communicated Bolivia’s willingness to join the group on June 12, 2023. He said that the government wanted to “move towards sustainable and inclusive development, and strengthening cooperation with emerging economies” and that Bolivia had discussed the matter with all five member countries. “We know that it is a long process, but we are on the right path, working hard for the country,” said Mayta.

On August 2, Bolivian ambassador to Russia, María Luisa Ramos, in conversation with TASS, reported that the Bolivian Embassy in Moscow had sent an official document to the Russian government expressing its desire to join the BRICS bloc.  “We sent this document to all the BRICS countries (…), and then, they invited our president to the summit,” said Ramos.

According to the ambassador, BRICS is an appropriate platform to build a multipolar world and “there is democratic dialogue and there are new organizations and institutions.” “We believe that Bolivia will be able to share its experience as a free and independent country,” she said.

Likewise, on August 2, President Maduro said that Venezuela had also submitted a formal application to join the BRICS group. “BRICS is the driving force behind the emergence of a multipolar world, and now that the bloc is considering to expand to allow new countries to participate, Venezuela expresses its intention to join,” said Maduro.

He hoped that the request would receive a positive response and Venezuela would enter the group’s dynamics as soon as possible.

BRICS, founded in 2009, has become an important global platform for cooperation among developing countries. Last year, During the 14th BRICS Summit in June, the leaders of the five BRICS countries agreed to expand the group’s membership and increase integration with new partners from various continents. Membership expansion will be discussed in the upcoming BRICS summit.

According to reports, about 30 countries from across the globe have shown interest in joining the BRICS bloc, which unites the world’s largest developing economies. These include Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Honduras, Iran, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.