The public political narrative of the Bolivarian Alliance for the People of our America

Abstract: This research presents a narrative analysis of the public political narrative of the Bolivarian Alliance for the People of our America. The aim of the study is to explore how the organization creates a narrative of itself and its political project, through the use of temporal framing, motifs, symbols, characters and subplots that are all connected to each other. More precisely, the place of democracy within this narrative constitutes a main focus. Debates in the literature about the type of regime promoted by ALBA reveal the recurring misunderstanding of this controversial alliance. By analysing specifically what ALBA tells about itself, one is able to gain a new insight into its motivations and goals as a political actor. The results of the study suggest that democracy and democracy promotion do not constitute the priorities of the alliance, in contrast with sovereignty and unity that are the pilar of the relations among members and guide the political decisions. This has considerations regarding the literature on ALBA, that either perceive it as promoting autocracy, or at representing a revolutionary model of democracy and allows for more nuance in its study.