New members of BRICS, Cuba and Bolivia reinforce the Global South

Since January 1, 2025, Cuba and Bolivia have officially acquired the status of countries associated with the BRICS group, which already has Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as founding members. The decision, agreed at the bloc’s October 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia, symbolizes an important milestone in the transition to a multipolar economic and political order.

The inclusion of new partners, including Cuba and Bolivia, seeks to strengthen the bloc’s economic and political cooperation, promoting the integration of countries from the Global South into a more equitable international scenario.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov highlighted that this new membership category will allow associated countries to effectively integrate into BRICS cooperation formats.

BRICS: expansion and global relevance

By 2025, BRICS will consolidate its position as a significant global force, representing more than 35% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 45% of the global population and 30% of the Earth’s surface. With expansion, the bloc continues to strengthen its influence as an alternative to the system led by Western economies.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the new category of association allows countries like Cuba and Bolivia to join the BRICS cooperation formats, increasing the bloc’s relevance on the international stage.

Cuba: overcoming blockages and expanding opportunities

For Cuba, joining the BRICS is seen as a strategic opportunity to circumvent the economic embargo imposed by the United States. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted that the bloc offers “great hope for the countries of the South” in search of a fairer international system.

The Caribbean island stands out in the BRICS for its capabilities in biotechnology, drug production and scientific cooperation. Furthermore, the possibility of carrying out transactions in local currencies will reduce dependence on the dollar, facilitating trade with new partners. Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez reinforced the need for global coexistence based on solidarity and integration between countries.

For Bolivia, BRICS opens doors to broad markets such as China and India, which together have 2.6 billion people. Bolivian President Luis Arce celebrated the accession as a decisive step to boost national production and promote economic development.

Bolivia and access to new markets

For Bolivia, BRICS offers a window of opportunity to expand its economic horizons. President Luis Arce highlighted the importance of accessing the gigantic markets of countries such as China and India, which together represent 2.6 billion inhabitants. This opening entails challenges, especially in terms of increasing national production to meet external demand.

“We are opening new markets, which means production, investment and economic development,” declared Arce, emphasizing the need to strengthen the Bolivian productive base. Furthermore, the president highlighted that BRICS offers an opportunity for Bolivia to advance in technological terms and have access to multilateral financial cooperation.

Arce also highlighted the diverse and multilateral character of the group, which is not based on cyclical affinities, but on principles of cooperation and respect for differences.

Brazil and the challenges of the rotating mandate

Amid the expansion of BRICS, Brazil assumed the rotating presidency of the group in 2025. Among the priorities of the mandate are the reform of global governance, the facilitation of trade and the creation of alternatives to the dollar as a means of payment. The bloc’s next summit is scheduled for July, in Rio de Janeiro.

A new chapter for the Global South

The inclusion of Cuba and Bolivia, along with other countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Uganda, reinforces the role of BRICS as a catalyst for the growth of emerging economies. More than an economic alliance, the bloc represents an alternative to the Western model, promoting a greater balance of power in the international system.

For Cuba and Bolivia, joining the BRICS symbolizes new opportunities in a changing global scenario, with prospects for economic diversification, technological advances and greater financial integration.

ALBA-TCP celebrates memberships

The member states of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) enthusiastically celebrated the accession of Cuba and Bolivia to the BRICS as partner countries. The alliance highlighted that this achievement represents an important step in building a multipolar world, committed to cooperation and equitable development.

In an official note, ALBA-TCP expressed its joy at seeing two member countries join an international platform that has gained strength in promoting multilateralism, global stability and security. “These purposes reflect the ideals that gave rise to our alliance twenty years ago, the result of the efforts of Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, and the dreams of the heroes of independence in Latin America and the Caribbean”, highlighted the statement, referring to the pillars of peace, cooperation and solidarity that shaped the bloc’s vision.

ALBA-TCP highlighted that the accession of Cuba and Bolivia reaffirms the commitment of these countries to the construction of a new, more inclusive and democratic world order, essential for the survival of humanity. The bloc recognized the potential of these nations to transmit to the BRICS the values ​​of solidarity, diversity and complementarity that define the essence of the Bolivarian Alliance.

Defense of Venezuela’s inclusion in BRICS

Despite the celebrations, ALBA-TCP regretted that a country had broken the BRICS consensus, preventing Venezuela from joining for the time being. The alliance highlighted that Venezuela’s exclusion occurs at a crucial moment for the future of the world and reiterated its commitment to promoting the country’s inclusion in the bloc.

“Convinced of the need to overcome exclusions, we will continue to defend Venezuela’s sovereign right to be part of the new multipolar world in consolidation,” stated the note. The bloc argued that Venezuela has the material conditions and historical values ​​necessary to boost BRICS in the region, reinforcing solidarity and the new multilateralism.

ALBA-TCP took advantage of the occasion to demand an end to aggression against Venezuela and respect for its sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of its integration into global platforms such as BRICS. For the alliance, Venezuelan inclusion will further strengthen the bloc in building an international order based on respect for international law and cooperation between States.